UC to consider plan to hike tuition over 5 years

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The University of California will ask its regents to approve a tuition increase -- five percent every year over the next five years.

Governor Jerry Brown promised the University of California would get four years of general funding increases, as long as tuition levels remained flat.

The University of California's Chief Financial Officer Nathan Brostrom said Thursday that was a one-sided deal.

"There never was a promise. That's something the governor put in, but we have to look at state funding," he said.

He added that the UC's allocation is not enough. The state has increased funding five percent over each of the last two years and was ready to increase it by four percent a year, over the next two years.

"That's not even enough to maintain the university, let alone do the things we want to do like enroll more California students and reinvest in academic quality," Brostrom added.

If the regents agree to the hike, tuition would rise $612 dollars a year. Over five years, tuition for a California resident would increases from $12,192 to more than $15,000.

"My family would suffer. Increasing costs, I don't know if we could afford it," one student said.

"I would probably have to take out loans to go to school here," another student said.

UC says 55 percent of students would not be affected by the increase since 100 percent of their tuition and fees are covered by financial aid.

Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom sits on the Board of Regents. He reminded the University of California that four chancellors recently got significant pay raises.

In a statement, Newsom wrote: "The University of California cannot bestow pay raises on its top earners with one hand, while continually taking more from students and their families with the other."

The UC says those chancellors had not been given a raise in eight years and this this hike would not be necessary if the state would increase their funding levels.

The regents will consider the new five year plan on November 19.

The 23-campus California State University system, has not increased tuition in three years and a spokesperson said raising prices is on the table for next year.