Prioritize Local Students

In the face of state funding cuts, the University of California, Berkeley announced that it will begin charging out-of-state students over $50,000 a year for tuition, fees, and room and board. Berkeley is the first public university in the country to begin charging students over $50k; it charges $27,700 a year to in-state students. In the midst of a financial crisis, it is appropriate for Berkeley to raise tuition for out-of-state students in order to keep tuition down for in-state residents, as the university’s primary responsibility is to residents of California who pay taxes to the state.

In an attempt to compensate for significant reductions in funding, Berkeley has been forced to make drastic budget cuts. The Daily Californian reported that this year, for example, numerous courses are offering fewer labs and discussion sections compared to previous years because the University can not afford to pay graduate students; there are 63 leaky roofs on campus, and a single gardener mows all the campus lawns. Budget cuts alone have not been enough to adjust to such large and sudden funding cuts. If tuition must go up in light of these circumstances, increases that affect only out-of-state students are preferable.

However, such raises should be the last resort to adjust to funding cuts. Although it may not seem like tuition increases change the number of applicants to certain universities, these changes will undoubtedly disadvantage those most in need and make many students think twice about applying.

When schools like Berkeley do raise tuition, they should make every effort to ensure that students who are already attending the university do not have to pay higher fees midway through college. Many American families struggle to find a way to finance their children’s educations; students should not be forced to make new financial plans and face increased financial stress midway through their college careers.

Berkeley’s greatest strength is that it provides a world-class education at state-university prices to in-state students. Thus, even in the face of financial turmoil, the university should not go against its obligation to state taxpayers by admitting more outof- state and international students who pay higher fees than state residents in order to further increase tuition revenues.

Over recent years the Harvard Admissions Office has made a concerted effort to publicize its financial- aid policy in different communities across the country. Berkeley and other public universities should take similar action, aggressively informing potential applicants about their financial-aid options to ensure that qualified applicants are not discouraged from applying because of hefty tuition fees. On a similar note, we applaud the Obama administration’s efforts to make college more affordable by expanding the number of Pell Grants available to students. Public schools should emphasize this option.

However, even given publicity, we are concerned that, unlike private universities with large endowments, public universities are unable to provide sufficient financial aid to cover the increasingly expensive price of tuition. To address this, public colleges and universities should start capital campaigns and alumni donation programs in order to create special endowment funds specifically earmarked for student financial aid.

The state of California and the University of California system are undoubtedly facing great financial strain. There is no question that serious budget cuts and financial adjustments need to be made. As Berkeley faces these choices, we hope that its responsibility to California residents remains at the forefront of the discussion.