California

California Lawmaker Toni Atkins Floats Plan to Avoid UC Tuition Hike

A state legislator and member of the University of California's governing board is proposing increasing state funding to the university system to help avoid a possible tuition hike.

State Assembly Speaker Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) announced her plan Wednesday just before a committee of the university's governing board voted to raise tuition by as much as five percent in each of the next five years. The proposed tuition hikes still must be reviewed by the full Board of Regents on Thursday, and it could be approved then.

Atkins called on the regents to reject the proposed fee increases and have UC staff begin working with the legislature and the governor on a shared solution.

Here is some of what she is proposing:

-- Reject all fee increases for California students, including the potential 25 percent fee increase in UC President Janet Napolitano's proposal.

-- Provide additional funding of $50 million from the state general fund.

-- Cut fees for middle income families by more than 20 percent in 2015-16.

-- Double the proposed increase of California students at University of California schools to 10,000 over five years.

-- Cap enrollments of out-of-state students at 2014-15 levels.

-- Increase tuition for out of state students by $5,000.

-- Adopt pension reforms for new employees.

-- Increase the amount of teaching that is required and limit increases in executive compensation.
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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