If the state Legislature accepts the budget negotiated last week between 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ leaders and Gov. Schwarzenegger, students will pay substantially more for their 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ educations but 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ-eligible freshmen probably will not be turned away as they were this year.
In announcing the higher-education budget compact on May 11, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ President Robert Dynes said his priorities were those of student leaders: fees, financial aid, access for 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ-qualified applicants and outreach to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The current state of affairs:
- Fees: Undergraduate fees systemwide will rise by 14 percent ($700) in 2004-05, 8 percent ($475) in 2005-06 and 8 percent in 2006-07. At 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Davis, because of additional campus-based fees approved by student votes, the actual increases will be 19 percent ($1,083) in 2004-05, 8 percent ($620) in 2005-06 and 8 percent in 2006-07.
Graduate fees will rise 22 percent ($1,275) in 2004-05, 10 percent ($760) in 2005-06 and 10 percent in 2006-07.
Professional school fees were to be set by the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Regents on Wednesday (after Dateline's publication deadline--for the updated story on that see next week's Dateline or visit ). The regents were expected to consider these proposed fee increases: law school, 23 percent ($3,800); veterinary medicine, 27 percent ($4,000); management, 29 percent ($4,500); medicine, 33 percent ($4,500).
- Financial aid: The university was given the flexibility to reserve 20 percent to 33 percent of new fee revenue for 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ financial aid, where the governor had proposed limiting it to 20 percent. The governor's May 13 budget also includes funding to provide Cal Grants that cover the proposed 14 percent undergraduate student fee increase.
- Accessibility: Enrollments will start growing again after 2004-05, though growth at the Davis campus is expected to be modest for at least the next two years. Dynes' office said this week that it expects to meet Master Plan commitments to enroll all 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ-eligible freshmen students who want to attend 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ.
- Outreach: The university has committed $12 million in permanent funding to programs that strengthen K-12 students' academic readiness for college. Some additional funding may be provided by the Legislature's state budgets. 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ also will seek private-sector support for outreach.