Students protest tuition

Err, it cost about that much if you're living on-campus and you're from out of state. But, if you live in California, it's around $22,000 - $25,000 per year as of now.

join the military and go fight an unjust war so your countries economic elite can make more money! sounds like a great idea! education should be affordable. you shouldn't have to join the military in order to go to college, or to get health insurance for your family, or to get cheaper gas and food on base. the only reason you should join the military is if you want to not because you have to. sounds like a great way to get kids to join though huh? let's make everything so fucking expensive so they don't have a choice. you friend, are an idiot.

thats kinda the point of making people poor, to build up the cannon fodder

But there isn't any indication that the tuition increase is actually going to the schools. No services are being restored and no laid-off employees are being hired again.

Everything is staying the same, if not getting worse, and they're also raising tuition.

Keep in mind, the budget has BEEN balanced. So it's not as if this money is filling a budgetary hole.

And this part of a LONG trend in CA history now, they set the standard for fiscal budgets in crises and in doing so destroy government services. Many of us believe that's what's going on right now.

It is not "cake" here. Basicly california's state ran college system is taking a fat dump and it's not just the UC's the Cal State's are doing the same and it's harder to get in now and the Junior/Community level is increasing tuition and dropping classes and even summer semesters. So no cake to be found here just more 20 year olds like me having to work more and go to school less.

Amen to the textbook stuff! Some stuff doesnt change and for what does change they should provide supplements or something. What if publishers could only create a new edition every 5th year or something...and for material that changed in between they had to provide supplements, free of charge. I definitely want laws on this.

yesyesyes absolutely. if only students weren't to lazy and dis-unified to form a sort of students coalition to lobby these sorts of things. but..we're students for a relatively short amount of time, and it'd be hard to basically try unionize all students across the nation

Community college ain't going to get you a Bachelors Degree.

Yeah, Paying for a title that means you're a scholar.

good one!

That's why we need our Congress to legislate government funded education for all who qualify. Sign the petition: http://www.change.org/actions/view/stop_tuition_hikes

Actually, that is factored in as well. The amount of money you make per year and how many children you're supporting is factored in when financial aid is made and is related to how much money you should be paying per year. And no, they're not given "full rides." Their fees are lowered so they can afford to go to college. The purpose for this is so that college is not only for the upper-class. But, sadly, if this continue, it may turn out to be that way.

Just thought I'd let you know that.

@KateLove, first of all how old are you? Have you been supporting yourself for many years? When did you leave home and become independent? These are important questions because, if you are independent and have been so for several years, then you can be declared independent of your parents and their income would then not be a factor in how much financial aid you would receive.

I have two nephews who are under 25 in college and both receive full financial aid with a combination of Pell Grants, Opportunity Grants, Work Study, and Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans, really a nice package that covers their school and living costs (we are talking room and board, no ipods or other crap). Their mother makes money but she has been an addict for many years on Meth and she has a very rich boyfriend who spends at least 10K on her monthly. But she has no room in her heart or life to help her kids go to college. My two nephews had to go through the paperwork to have themselves declared independent from their parents earnings, and that changed everything for them.

You may want to look into this. I hate to say this, but your parents are selfish for not helping you. If they truly loved you and they have the financial resources to help you then they are cruel people to do that to you, or even hold you hostage with their income limiting your options for aid. At the very least they should write a letter on your behalf explaining to your financial aid office why they do not support you financially while attending college.

I'm 19 and have been supporting myself for about 2 or 3 years. I'm going in to have another chat with the financial aid adviser at my school, but aside from loans, they always tell me that unless I'm homeless living in cars that I'm required by law to include my parent's income to be calculated in my EFC. Thank you for your concern though, it's really very sweet :] Being non-chalant and skating by seems okay for the most part, but I'm planning on going to med school, and I think that not being prepared enough may come back and bite me in the butt later..

The reason for the law is because you cannot be independent unless you turn 21 (or 22, I forget which). But, to be declared an independent, you have to go through the courts and have the judge rule in your favor for emancipation. But, this may result in a legal consultation in order to get the papers done. And just to let you know, to prove emanicipation, you have to provide evidence that you can solely support yourself. If they notice any support from your parents such as paying for your phone bill or car insurance, they will deem you independent.

The school tries their best to help you in whatever way they can. My parents make a little over $70,000 and I'm going to school without any loans and financial aid (thanks to the stubbornness of my parents). But, that doesn't mean it's not hurting.. a lot. Sadly, financial aid doesn't factor in parents' health because my dad has failure in both of his kidneys (10% working).

And just fyi, I'm from UCSC as well. Go slugs! :)

@KateLove, if you have been financially independent for two years and you are 19, you could make the case, if there is no help whatsoever from your parents; like anglacanz said.

Woot! Nice to hear there's some other slugs around :]

The majority of the kids doing this are actually completely reasonable, they're misrepresented by retards.

Seriously, just go to one of the occupations. I used to think the same thing until I went. Then when I did go I figured out most of my friends were there, who aren't leftists, anarchist morons at all.

You're completely right and it sucks! The kids who actually have plans and are working towards something better are being judged by the bad eggs in their presence. It only takes one.. ::sigh::

Or an Ivy League school where they are taught to hate diversity of opinion but learn no American history.

They are state schools

He didn't say liberal arts college. He said liberal college.

wtf is a liberal college? Are you serious? That illogical statement is making my head hurt.

Socrates was right we need philosopher kings to run the world.....

I think the ideal candidate is someone with an open mind, good heart, loyalty and morals. Who cares what race, religion or sexuality so long as they listen to other people, do what's right based on logic, stay loyal to the people that put them in power and once again, do what's right.

Or we can all get off our asses and demand Congress do something now. Sign the petition: http://current.com/items/91523205_stop-tuition-hikes-now.htm

Agreed to both statements, signed sealed and delivered. I suggested the BJL as a convo starter. To me being those three would make you the kind of person you described.

Was that part of the Ron Paul movement? I dont know what he thought about cost of college but I know a lot of college students really supported him.

I would hope not. We don't need any more senior citizens being president or serving in the Senate or the House. What we need is new blood. Washington needs a transfusion of students with hope and understanding of real world problems. Not problems that are contrived for profit.

That would never happen simply because of the way government is setup. Even if a random student wanted to be in government, its pretty damn difficult unless you are wealthy. Thats why the rich are the only ones there because in order to run a successful campaign you need lots of money so people know you and thus vote for you.

Well I wouldn't be so sure. Massive and I mean massive organization would be required, but it can be done. Running student candidates for Congress in every state under the same political party, especially where student and youth voters outnumber the encumbent status quo political old timers. Congressional reps only need to be 25, and Senators need to 30. President is 35. Where there is a political will, there is always away; to borrow from a famous line of Bob Marley. It can be done.

Just look at how much power the students have had to shut down a University campus. All that raw power harnessed and channeled towards a government takeover could be stupendous, invigorating, and life affirming.

Easy on the propaganda there tiger...

@whitenoise Just have been listening to this book again. It is so illuminating.

AMY GOODMAN: Bob Samuels, the implications of what’s happening here in California for the rest of the country?

BOB SAMUELS: Well, basically, what we’re seeing, especially at the major prestigious universities, is more and more—only upper middle class, upper class students can go to them. And they’re privatizing these institutions. And the institutions—what happened about 1980 was that states started to cut their funding of higher education, and so universities looked for other ways of making money, and so they concentrated on raising funds and doing research, and especially research funded by corporations and the federal government. And so, basically now at a lot of universities, instruction only represents about ten percent of the budget, and so it’s a minor aspect of the universities.

And most people don’t know that, that universities, in some ways, are just kind of fronts for investment banks and investments, because at the University of California, the regents, who are the main financial overseers of the university, are appointed by the governor for twelve-year terms. And most of the regents now are Republicans, who not only have voted against taxes and have not only tried to defund higher education—and they’re the ones in charge in many ways—but they’re also business people chosen by Republican governors. And those—and they are real estate people, they’re investment bankers. The new head of the—the chair of the UC Regents is the former head of Wachovia, and he actually—they sold subprime student loans, right? And they profit from the student loans. And also, they pushed the UC into investing heavily into mortgage-backed securities and into real estate right when those were tanking.

And so, I really think that the Board of Regents basically is forcing the UC or motivating the UC to make a lot of incredibly bad investments, and when the investments turn bad, then they try to take it out on the students, on the faculty and the workers.

AMY GOODMAN: I want to just end with this USA Today latest study of compensation, revealing that at least twenty-five college head football coaches make $2 million or more this season, slightly more than double the number two years ago.

BOB SAMUELS: The UC Berkeley faculty last week voted a resolution to stop subsidizing the athletic department. Apparently UC Berkeley has been paying, subsidizing out of student fees, $3 million to $4 million a year. What most people don’t know is most athletic departments lose money, and the big departments lose a lot of money. And student fees often go to paying for athletic departments. And also, we found out that student fees go as collateral to—for construction bonds.

No one forced you to attend a private college.

well, maybe you shouldn't go to a college that costs 40,000 dollars a year, state colleges are just as good, just because a lot of rich people go there doesn't mean you have to too. or are mommy and daddy still supporting you?
if you don't realize it, most colleges kids cant afford this in California because:
1 minimum wage is low here
2 most college students make minimum wage
3 most college students work part time
4 most college students already give up half their income already to stay in college
5 most college students in california support themselves, so no help from mommy and daddy
6 most college students have very modest possessions already, no xbox or ipod, in some cases don't even have basic cable, let alone a TV
7 the depression is hurting college students more than the schools
8 California has a very high cost of living
9 like skatebs said, the students pay for the facilities, so its theirs to take over
10 again, like skatebs said, the cops shouldn't come to be the private security force on campus, they have rights to demonstrate against what is truly fucked up

It's not right for anyone. People without the means shouldn't have to be burdened with these tuition costs. The fabric of our country is at stake. If people aren't educated they can't get gainful employment in this society. try to get a job, even an entry level job, without a degree, even an unrelated degree. Our country's very survival is at stake.

We see that universal education (and health care too) works in other countries, though they pay higher taxes. but ultimately everyone benefits with a healthy and educated society.

so you won't protest if U of I raises tuition by 32%?

It's two increases in tuition fees. Those numbers reported don't even include the ridiculous costs of textbooks and dorming for UC. Besides, most of the UCs run on a quarterly system, not a semester system. So we've been paying more than your $26,000 / year college cost.

If you had the chance, wouldn't you do something to make your tuition a little easier? These students don't want to end up in the same situation you are. Instead of calling them immature, I would say that they are very mature in standing up for themselves, instead of idly taking this massive hike.

uhh what? your wrong. and wrong again