2008 Woodie Awards
Rising tuition costs push for state ballot initiative
State ballot initiative strives to freeze the tuition rate for five years
By: Spencer Marshak
Issue date: 3/12/08 Section: News
"We have had volunteers and supporters ranging from UC and CSU students, to community college students, to parents," said Ami Patel, another lead organizer. "We are really not that surprised that this many people care about the large increase in tuition costs."
Tuition Relief Now does not wish to eliminate tuition costs. In fact, it firmly believes that students should pay their fair share. However, it argues that colleges in California are becoming less affordable by the year, and as tuition costs rise, more and more potential students will be discouraged from attending the state's public four year universities.
The state of California is not helping this problem either. In 1977, about 17 percent of the general state fund was spent on higher education. Today, that figure has dropped to 11 percent, and when one considers that California is the fifth largest economy in the world, that is millions upon millions of dollars that used to be going towards universities that are now being spent elsewhere.
TRN's Web site at www.tuitionreliefnow.org has petition that can be downloaded, printed out and signed, and then sent in to its headquarters.
Tuition Relief Now does not wish to eliminate tuition costs. In fact, it firmly believes that students should pay their fair share. However, it argues that colleges in California are becoming less affordable by the year, and as tuition costs rise, more and more potential students will be discouraged from attending the state's public four year universities.
The state of California is not helping this problem either. In 1977, about 17 percent of the general state fund was spent on higher education. Today, that figure has dropped to 11 percent, and when one considers that California is the fifth largest economy in the world, that is millions upon millions of dollars that used to be going towards universities that are now being spent elsewhere.
TRN's Web site at www.tuitionreliefnow.org has petition that can be downloaded, printed out and signed, and then sent in to its headquarters.
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