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California schools just got a lot more expensive
Posted by on Monday, November 23, 2009 at 9:23 AM (PST)
The University of California higher education system has long been a model for other states around the country. From a diverse array of affordable educational options to high-level laboratories that have produced Nobel Prize-winning research and tremendous advancements in science, the UC system is a great example of how public colleges benefit society.
That may all be changing.
With last week's announcement of a 32% hike in undergraduate fees (basically, a tuition increase), many are questioning how well the UC system will be able to maintain it's standard of excellence. Will students still be able to afford their educations? Will faculty leave? Will grad students seek other educational options? Already the PR fallout has been intense, with scores of students protesting the decision and even some arrests.
The tuition hike is a direct result of the state of California's current budget crisis. The state cut back it's contributions to the UC budget, which meant that money had to be replaced somehow. From a budgetary standpoint, it may seem like the only solution. But will the end result be a lowering of the higher education standards in California? That's a tough question and we may not know the answer for years. But we do know that instead of award-winning research and advancements in the classroom, all the buzz around the UC schools right now seems to be about tuition hikes and doom and gloom.
Read more about the UC budget cuts here.
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