Out-of-State Students Strain Under Burgeoning Fees

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

pledged $75 million last month to stabilize

student fees for the first time

since 2001, winning

approval

from students,

the UC Board of

Regents and

administrators.

But not everyone was cheering.

The governor’s buy-out of student

fees excluded out-of-state undergraduates,

who for the eleventh year in a

row will see a rise in their fees.

With the university facing state

budget cuts coupled with a spurt in

enrollment, the cost of a UC education

has risen for all students in the last

decade.

But UC officials said that the university’s

role as an institution serving

California residents has led the university

to rely more heavily on out-ofstate

students as a source of revenue.

Out-of-state undergraduates made

up 7.6 percent of the total undergraduate

population at UC Berkeley last year.

“Our highest priority is to serve residents

of California,” said Susan Wilbur, UC director of undergraduate

admissions.

The cost disparity between in-state

and out-of-state students has ballooned

in recent years, with out-ofstate

student fees and tuition rising

110 percent since 1994, compared to a

71-percent rise for in-state students.

Today, a year of UC Berkeley education

for a non-resident undergraduate

costs $25,254, while residents pay

$7,434.

In comparison, a year at Stanford

University, which charges all its students

the same tuition, costs $29,847.

In addition, UC does not offer gift

or grant aid to out-of-state students,

although they are eligible to receive

federal financial aid, said Richard

Black, vice chancellor of enrollment

and admissions.

“It’s just way too much,” said senior

Brandon Gan, an international student

from Malaysia. “Private schools

and Ivy Leagues—at least they have

financial aid available. (Here) you pay

almost as much, but you’re not eligible

for anything—it’s ridiculous.”

But UC officials said that as a institution

funded by California taxpayer

dollars, the university must prioritize students coming from the state.

The policy is in line with other public

schools nationwide, who also charge

non-residents higher fees. This year,

the University of Michigan charged

full-term undergraduate non-residents

$18,388 more than residents.

“It’s not any different from any

other university,” said UC spokesperson

Ravi Poorsina. “The UC here is

first and foremost to serve the needs of California students.”

But some out-of-state students said

that paying for a UC college education

is becoming an increasingly unattractive

prospect.

Juliana Cho, an alumna from

Portland, Ore., shouldered the higher

out-of-state tuition for all four years of

college, including thousands in fee

increases.

To help cover the cost, she took out

loans and stayed in co-ops all four

years of college, forgoing the more expensive residence halls because she

“just didn’t feel that was feasible.”

“It makes sense that (UC) charges

more, especially since they’re a state

school, but I think the difference

between what they charge in state and

out of state is a little too much,” Cho said.

In hindsight, Cho said she might

have attended a local school that covered

her tuition instead.

“I’ve talked to graduate students,

(and) the fee they charge is driving

them to private universities,” she said.

Tags: