Regents postponed a vote today to increase tuition by 2.7 percent.
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Many believed it was a done-deal.
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Some UC Regents asked to be given more time, until May, to try to convince Governor Jerry Brown to increase the state's funding for the UC system. Brown has allocated only a 3 percent increase for the UCs in his proposed state budget.
The regents say that's not enough.
"You may have to have a tuition increase, nobody wants it but Sacramento is not being responsible," said UC Regent Richard Blum.
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This boils down to a $342 a year jump in tuition and student fees. A student's tuition would go up to $12,972 for the 2018-2019 academic year.
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"I think for us to have a discussion about raising tuition needs to be a compelling case that we've exhausted all other solutions and that case hasn't been made yet," said UC Regent John Perez.
But most students won't be affected because financial aid covers the full tuition bill for 60 percent of students.
Families with an income of $100,000 a year or less pay no tuition. Out-of-state students would be hit harder.
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They will see a 3.5 percent tuition increase, which amounts to $978 more a year. That means that they could be paying $28,992 in tuition and student fees. That's not including room and board.
Students say any kind of tuition hike hurts them. "There is no reason for the UC regents to be increasing tuition. They are spending money in places that are not necessary," said Progressive Student Association's Mathew Lewis.
Last year, students saw a $336 increase in their tuition. Before that, they had not seen a hike since 2011.
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