Woe Is Me; The Declining Economy

"University of California Students and Parents
April 2007
Page 2

I know this increase comes at a time when many of you are grappling with growing pressures on your family budgets. At the same time, however, when we enroll students at the University of California, we commit to providing them with an education of the highest quality. The Regents and I believe that these fee increases are necessary to sustain the outstanding teaching and research programs our students expect and to ensure that all students continue to have access to the classes they need to graduate on time.

The fee increases also will help the University provide initial funding for one of its highest priorities: the enchantment of student mental health services. Universities nationwide are seeing a serious and growing need to provide more mental health services for students, and our Regents wanted to ensure we act promptly. Therefore, UC will set aside $22 per student from the Registration Fee increase resulting in approximately $4.6 million to fund initial enchantments to mental health services.

Keep in mind, too, that financial aid will increase along with fees. For undergraduates, the Governor has proposed a $16 million increase in Cal Grant awards to offset the mandatory systemwide fee incrase for UC Cal Grant recipients. In addition, the University will dedicate 33 percent of new fee revenue to additional UC undergraduate financial aid. As a result, UC will generally be able to provide grants to cover 100 percent of the fee increase for on-time financial aid applicants whose families earn less than $60,000. Other financially needy undergraduates from families with incomes up to $100, 000 would receive a UC grant covering half of the fee increase. For graduate students, 45 percent of new fee revenue will be earmarked to help offset the impact of higher fees.

I know fee increases are never welcome. Given the ongoing fiscal challenges for the State of California, our planning framework with the Governor over the last several years has sought, at the very least, to make these increases moderate and more predictable than in the past, so our families are better equipped to plan.

Thank you for your understanding and for your support of our efforts to protect the quality of the UC student educational experience.

Sincerely,
Robert C. Dynes"

Anecdote time: Last summer I was fortunate enough to attend a conference in the cornfields of Indiana. No, the rural country setting wasn't the most shocking to me. In fact, it was the perception of what most everyone there held of me; that I was a rich spoiled kid from San Diego, CA... "You live in San Diego? You must be filthy rich!". hahaha no! Doesn't anyone know? Only the socioeconomically established and military enlisted are prosperous here. Despite having the #1 GDP in the United States and 13th in the world... most everyone in California is broke. From high gas prices to mortgages that surpass even the GDP of most third world countries... Honestly, why would anyone wanna live here?

Yes, that's a rhetorical question.