University of California, I'm sorry...
Today marks a big day in the history of the UC system. Our tuition, or "fees" as they call it, is going to go up severely in the next couple of months. Last night I attended a meeting about all this madness hosted by VSU on campus. There were two sides of the issue presented to me that made me feel really conflicted.
First, there is the side of the students. Yes, our fees are going up, and it's making the gap bigger for students already struggling to try and pay for their education. It's unfair for students who are minorities and first generation, having to already deal with difficulties and pressures, but now there is a big issue of money. If they can't pay for college, are they going to have to say goodbye to their future? To the future of their family?
Then, there's the side of the Regents. As of right now, the faculty and staff of the UC system aren't happy as it is because of their paychecks being cut and being forced to take furlough days off. What is keeping them from walking over to a private school who's willing to pay them 5 times more money than what UCLA can pay them? The Regents are trying to do everything in their power to keep the faculty, who ultimately is responsible for how much our degrees are worth. There's no other way to do that right now than to increase our fees.
I'm feeling pretty conflicted right now and I don't know which side I should be on. I guess we'll just have to see how it all plays out in the end.
First, there is the side of the students. Yes, our fees are going up, and it's making the gap bigger for students already struggling to try and pay for their education. It's unfair for students who are minorities and first generation, having to already deal with difficulties and pressures, but now there is a big issue of money. If they can't pay for college, are they going to have to say goodbye to their future? To the future of their family?
Then, there's the side of the Regents. As of right now, the faculty and staff of the UC system aren't happy as it is because of their paychecks being cut and being forced to take furlough days off. What is keeping them from walking over to a private school who's willing to pay them 5 times more money than what UCLA can pay them? The Regents are trying to do everything in their power to keep the faculty, who ultimately is responsible for how much our degrees are worth. There's no other way to do that right now than to increase our fees.
I'm feeling pretty conflicted right now and I don't know which side I should be on. I guess we'll just have to see how it all plays out in the end.