For the seventh time in eight years, the University of California is holding tuition levels for its in-state undergraduate students flat for the 2019–2020 academic year.
UC president Janet Napolitano made the announcement at a Sacramento hearing on education finance on Mar. 6, despite rising costs and growing enrollment across all of the UC campuses.
“We are optimistic about our strong partnership with the governor and the legislature and will work collectively to identify additional resources, in lieu of tuition revenues, to ensure that UC students can succeed,” Napolitano said.
Over the last few years, the university has made affordability a large priority, instituting a strong financial aid program which covers all systemwide tuition and fees for California students with family incomes of $80,000 or less.
As a result of these efforts, 57 percent of currently enrolled California undergraduates don’t pay any tuition, while another 20 percent have at least a portion of their costs covered by the financial aid programming.
“Part of UC’s mission is to do everything possible to help students reach their college dreams,” John A. Pérez, UC Board of Regents vice chair, said in a statement.
“We continue to do so in a number of ways, including addressing the total cost of attendance, such as food and housing needs, and working to develop a multiyear strategic plan that not only supports students’ financial needs but also expands access to UC for more Californians.”
Various colleges and universities across the nation are undertaking similar initiatives as higher education tuition costs continue to rise. The University of HawaiʻI, Michigan State University and Corban University are among others who have frozen tuition costs for their students during the current academic year.
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