I am writing in response to the column regarding the recent
raise of student fees by the UC Regents (“Fee increase
rational budgetary remedy,” July 7). While a fee increase is
practically expected, even mandated by the continually increasing
costs associated with education, what truly irks me is the $40
million to $50 million loan ““ the costs of which will be
passed on to out-of-state students in what will be the fourth (or
is it the fifth?) increase in the past two years.
While students may bemoan a 25 percent increase this year, they
forget about the increases of out-of-state fees over the past two
years ““ through no fault of the Daily Bruin’s one-sided
reporting. When I first entered UCLA in fall 2001, the quarterly
tuition and fees amounted to just slightly over $5,000 per quarter.
At the start of the 2002-2003 year, our fees were increased 10
percent. In the spring quarter, they increased another 6 percent
““ to a final tuition of slightly over $5,800 per quarter. Add
on top of that the 25 percent increase for next year, and
we’re paying $7,288 per quarter. Oh, and how about the likely
5 percent increase on top of that? We’re looking at a new
total of $7,653 each quarter. That’s nearly $23,000 a
year.
Now add the $50 million loan to be repaid in 5 years. So now
we’re looking at a likely total cost of nearly $26,000 a
year. And we’re not even adding in the cost of housing,
or the cost of moving. Compare that to the $4,794 residents are
paying. The UC Students Association keeps lobbying for lower or
constant fees, but apparently only for resident students.
People argue that out-of-staters should pay higher fees because
we don’t pay state taxes. OK, so maybe we haven’t paid
$10,000 in taxes to the state over the past 18 years. But
we’re paying the sales tax and our pay checks are being
taxed. Why? Because as far as the state is concerned, we are
citizens.
There will be a time when the cost/benefit of a UC education
will no longer outweigh the cost/benefit of private schools. When
that time comes, we’ll see the out-of-state enrollment
plummet from its already measly 6 percent or so to levels so low we
might as well not be considered a demographic anymore. Students
will lose a valuable component of their educational experience:
geographic diversity, which encompasses every single kind of
diversity UC strives for. Can the UC really afford to lose us? With
the way fees are going, I guess the answer is yes.
Mark Chen Third-year, molecular, cell, developmental
biology