Photo by kendrak from Flickr used under Creative Commons license
The Equal Justice Society stands in solidarity with the thousands of student protesters opposing the 32 percent fee hike recently adopted by the University of California Board of Regents. (Follow the protest on Twitter @ucbprotest and #ucstrike)
This tuition hike will bring the total cost of a UC education to more than $10,000 per year, and will disproportionately impact the ability of low income students, undocumented students, and students of color to attend California’s public universities.
In the 13 years since the passage of California Proposition 209, enrollment of students of color at the University of California’s flagship campuses has already dwindled to levels not seen since the ’60s and 70s.
These increases will further decrease the number of students of color able to attend UCs, and will force many current students to work multiple jobs just to stay in school, or worse yet, to leave because they are no longer able to afford tuition and fees.
Moreover, by disproportionately excluding students of color and students from disadvantaged backgrounds, these hikes will prevent our state from developing the diversity of leaders that we need – which is central to the mission of the University of California.
Please stand with us in opposing the privatization of the UC system, and demanding that public education in California remain open to all students who desire to pursue higher education, not just those who can afford it.
The future of our state depends on it.
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People need to start going after the corrupt politicians too. The state budget cuts easily, that’s right easily, could be avoided by making the rich pay a bit closer to their fair share in taxes.
People need to start going after the corrupt politicians too. The state budget cuts easily, that’s right easily, could be avoided by making the rich pay a bit closer to their fair share in taxes.