The UC Board of Regents approved a proposal for a 9.3 percent student fee hike at its meeting yesterday, a move regents said was motivated by diminishing state funding and a growing university deficit.

Starting in fall, resident undergraduates can expect an additional $662 in fees, while non-resident undergraduates will face a 10 percent increase, averaging an extra $2,000 in fees.

After a nearly two-hour discussion, the regents voted 17-4 to approve the measure-with Lt. Governor John Garamendi, Student Regent D'Artagnan Scorza and Regents Odessa Johnson and Eddie Island voting against the proposal.

Though the meeting was held via teleconference, students statewide criticized the hike, saying it made a UC education less accessible and more privatized.

"We're concerned it's a trend, causing fees to double within the last seven years," said Lucero Chavez, president of the UC Students Association.

"The state is privatizing us," said Richard C. Blum, chair of the UC Board of Regents. "They don't give us enough money."

State funding per-student has fallen 40 percent since 1990, according to UC President Mark Yudof.

He said the fee hike, which has been under consideration since November, is a "last alternative" to offset the UC system's total budget shortfall of $437 million.

"If this doesn't pass, we would being cutting back academic programs because I don't know where else we can go," he said.

Yudof said it is likely that fees will be increased again next year.

"I hope I'm wrong, but that's the truth," he said.

This year's increase is expected to add about $152 million to the system­-with $54.2 million for financial aid, to mitigate the impact on students.

Officials been have stressing Yudof's Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, which covers all systemwide fees for UC

students with a median household income of less than $60,000 a year. But more needs to be done to make financial aid simpler, said Regent Charlene Zettel.

"Unless we explain to our students and our families, it can be daunting," she said

However, the "high fee, high aid" approach goes against the university's mission as it poses a larger threat to low-income families, said Chavez, who is a student at Boalt Hall School of Law.

"I have a very high threshold for pain, but I think we are at our breaking point," she said.

Blum said the university wants the students to help find solutions to funding issues in place of fee hikes.

"Please just don't come here and complain," Blum said. "I don't mean that-you can come here and complain, but offer solutions."

Chavez urged the university to pressure the state for more funding-something Yudof said he would do to avoid future fee hikes. He said he will pressure the federal government to take a larger role in higher education.

The regents also approved Scorza's proposal to improve the transparency of registration fees, which will require the university to inform students how registration fees are specifically used. The 4.2 percent increase in registration fees was included in the 9.3 percent fee hike approved yesterday.

Scorza said the university should explore more ways to save instead of having students foot the bill.

"I think everything should be on the table," he said, adding the university should consider a state ballot measure or program eliminations. "We have to be creative."

Tags: UC BOARD OF REGENTS