UC Tuition Could Soar 32 Percent Under Worst Budget Scenario
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS / AP) -- University of California tuition could rise as much as 32 percent next year if Gov. Jerry Brown's state budget plan doesn't pan out, school administrators said Wednesday.
The governor earlier this year signed legislation reducing state support for UC by $500 million to roughly $2.5 billion for the fiscal year starting July 1. Three years ago, the 10-campus system received about $3.3 billion from the state, UC officials said.
KCBS' Margie Shafer Reports:
When Brown issued his revised budget plan Monday, he warned that UC could lose another $500 million if the state does not extend several temporary tax increases. So far the Democratic doesn't have enough Republican support to get his plan approved by the state Legislature.
At the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco on Wednesday, administrators said the university would likely have to raise in-state undergraduate tuition by 32 percent for the winter 2012 term to cope with a $1 billion budget cut.
Under that scenario, California residents would pay nearly $14,700 in annual tuition, which doesn't include room, board and campus fees. UC tuition is already set to increase 8 percent to $11,124 this fall.
"The people of this state have to understand the grave consequences for this university if we have an all-cuts budget," UC President Mark Yudof said.
Last week, California State University administrators said the 23-campus system would also have to raise tuition by 32 percent if it lost $1 billion in state funding.
In other UC business Wednesday, the Board of Regents elected Sherry Lansing as the new board chair for a one-year term starting July 1.
Lansing, a former high school teacher and CEO of Paramount Pictures who currently serves as the board's vice chair, will succeed Russell Gould, whose term as chairman expired.
The regents also approved the appointment of Dorothy Leland as the third chancellor of UC Merced, the system's youngest campus.
Leland, who has led Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville since 2004, Leland will replace outgoing Chancellor Sung-Mo "Steve" Kang, who announced in September that he's stepping down to return to teaching and research.
(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have contributed to this report.)
