(California) Lawmakers propose caps on college fees

[alp227]

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

(04-15) 04:00 PDT Sacramento - --

Lawmakers in Sacramento are proposing limits on skyrocketing student fees for higher education in California as campuses across the state have seen unrest and even violent protests over increased student costs.

On Wednesday, a state Senate committee heard four proposals to cap the annual growth of student fees and to ensure a delay between a fee's approval and its application. The proposals, which come from members of both parties and include a state constitutional amendment, are likely to be merged into a single bill in the coming weeks.

There are four proposals, all created by two Democrats and one Republicans. They are:

-- Capping fee increases at a maximum 10 percent per year, with a 180-day waiting period before they are implemented for CSU students, with a recommendation that UC Regents do the same. It was proposed by Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced.

-- Amending the state Constitution to mandate UC Regents adopt those changes. The Legislature can dictate such changes for CSU under current law but can only recommend such changes to UC, according to the bill proposed by Denham.

-- Prohibiting a year-to-year increase in fees for students once they are enrolled and limiting the cost of education that is funded with fees from CSU students. Freshman classes could have only 5 percent increases in fees above the class preceding them. The bill urges UC Regents to follow suit. It was introduced by Dean Florez, D-Shafter (Kern County).

-- Limiting increases in fees and the percent of fees that make up a student's overall cost of education to yet-to-be determined levels. It was introduced by Liu .

However, California's two public university systems aren't that excited:

But the proposals are getting a cool reception from leaders of major student organizations, who say they do not do enough to address the underlying issue of sufficient funding for higher education in California. Fees have increased 200 percent over the past decade for University of California students, 210 percent for Cal State students and 136 percent for community college students, according to legislative analyses of the bills.

The University of California Students Association takes no position on any bill that involves student fees because the organization believes higher education should be free to students.

--snip--

The association wants lawmakers to look to new revenues or other ways of increasing funding for higher education.

That sentiment is shared by the California State Student Association, and the president of that organization said he is concerned that administrators will respond to a cap on fees by slashing academic offerings.

[SocialistLez]

1. I'm with the CA Students Association

Here in AR there is going to be an increase in tuition at University of AR schools.
Thank goodness I have a scholarship but I know this increase is going to effect a lot of people.

[damntexdem]

2. But they're not proposing to cap tuition.

Because there isn't any -- it's all fees.

But with public universities nationwide, the issue is that lagging state funding over many years turned into tuition increases. So state legislatures are proposing to to cap tuition (or fee) increases, WITHOUT COUNTERING WITH HIGHER STATE FUNDING. Sure, legislatures know that public universities are great economic engines for their states, but they are increasing loathe to adequately maintain those engines.

[notesdev]

3. 10% per year???

Either this proposal is intentionally dishonest or it betrays a profound lack of understanding of both the current burden of tuition costs as well as the mathematics of exponents.

Is college affordable today? No? Then is it going to be affordable next year at a 10% higher price? Or the year after that, at 21% higher than today? Or in ten years when those costs will be at 2.6 times the present costs?

Who wrote this bill? The bankers' union?