Gov. Jerry Brown delivered his State of the State address Thursday, in which he reflected on the state of California’s higher education system.
In the speech, Brown recognized the deep fiscal problems facing both the University of California and the California State University.
“With respect to higher education, cost pressures are relentless and many students cannot get the classes they need,” he said in the address. “A half million fewer students this year enrolled in the community colleges than in 2008.”
Going forward, Brown affirmed his belief that tuition levels must remain stable in order to ensure accessibility. Still, his address avoided digging much deeper into possible next steps for the UC and CSU.
“The key here is thoughtful change, working with the faculty and the college presidents,” Brown said. “But tuition increases are not the answer. I will not let the students become the default financiers of our colleges and universities.”
Curan Mehra is the executive news editor. Contact him at [email protected]