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UC Regents Discuss Options on Student Affordability

LOS ANGELES—The UC Board of Regents discussed today a report outlining possible ways to provide undergraduates with the aid necessary to afford a UC education, eliciting debate on the type of model that should be implemented.

The report, authored by the Workgroup on Undergraduate Affordability and presented to the board at their UCLA meeting, suggested that barred access to financial aid rather than fee increases is the primary obstacle to affordability.

“We have to start now,” said UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, who served as chair of the workgroup. “The issue is, what’s the optimal methodology to guarantee accessibility for the whole population of California?”

The report found that freezing fees could result in less aid returned to students, since one-third of the revenue from fee increases for undergraduate students goes back to providing financial aid.

In receiving less aid while still coping with the cost of living, the demand for return-to-aid funds among undergraduates would increase.

“The cost of attending the university is dominated by the cost of living,” Birgeneau said. “If you fix fees, financial aid is not available.”

The report projects that, if fees increase, the amount of money each undergraduate student will be expected to contribute to their education will total $16,700 by the 2017-18 school year, down from the $18,300 students would have to pay in the same year if fees do not increase.

Financial support to UC undergraduates in the form of loans, grants, scholarships and work-study totaled $1.3 billion in 2006-2007.

In order to fund more financial aid opportunities for undergraduates, the report recommended the university raise $2 billion or raise $1 billion and have the state match the amount. It also recommended that the Cal Grant program be improved, among other suggestions.

Birgeneau’s proposal is one of several models that the regents will consider in pursuit of affordability.

Some regents agreed with Birgeneau’s model for affordable undergraduate costs.

“In the future, as we look at financial aid, I think we need to have a more comprehensive model of looking at total costs for students,” said UC Regent Russell Gould. “I think this is leading us on that track.”

But other members of the board said they do not believe additional fee increases are the answer.

“I don’t think I’m persuaded at all of the solution,” said UC Regent Eddie Island. “We ought not put in place a plan that calls for student fee increases year after year.”

The regents are set to consider a resolution tomorrow that would stabilize student fee increases by capping fees at the 2007-08 level.

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