Student Fees and Financial Aid

This afternoon, the University of California Board of Regents approved increases in tuition (which the UC previously referred to as student fees) and financial aid, effective as of the 2011-12 academic year. While I am deeply concerned about the impact of any tuition increase on our students and their families, the additional revenues are needed to ensure UCLA’s continued excellence.

It is important to note that one-third of the new revenue generated by the fee increase would be dedicated to financial aid, and that no eligible resident student from a family with an income below $80,000 would pay tuition. In addition, for the 2011-12 academic year, the amount of the tuition increase will be waived for eligible students from families with incomes less than $120,000. (To apply for financial aid, please visit the UCLA Financial Aid Office website.)

I also want to emphasize that the burden of our budget challenges will not be borne by students and their families alone. We are pursuing a strategy that will generate significant new revenue streams and help build a UCLA that is more self reliant. The core elements of our plan are: further enhancing academic and administrative efficiencies; enrolling more non-resident students, while maintaining the current number of enrollments for California residents; bolstering income from intellectual property; increasing the number of self-supporting programs; and increasing philanthropic giving to UCLA.

These measures, and the creativity and dedication of our campus community, friends and alumni, will ensure that we can continue to provide world-class teaching, innovation and service, and we remain committed to enriching the future of our state and society. Especially in light of today’s developments, it remains critical that we remind lawmakers in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., of our vital role in California. Please join our advocacy effort by clicking the Get Involved link at advocacy.ucla.edu.