UC Regents Warn Of Another Tuition Hike If Tax Measure Fails

DAVIS (CBS13) - University of California officials are now warning tuition at their campuses could soar again by a whopping 20 percent if voters don't pass the governor's tax hike initiative in November.

Students, already feeling the pressure of how to just make ends meet, now are learning it may get even tougher.

Airamus Jackson is already facing thousands of dollars in student loans, and is frustrated his tuition may go up thousands more.

"That's people's money," he said. "Just how are they going to live? It's crazy."

The UC system is preparing for the worst. The governor has indicated that if his tax initative fails in November, UC funding would be cut by $250 million.

So UC administrators are already talking, saying they'll consider raising tuition as high as 20 percent in January if voters reject the governor's plan.

That means students could pay almost $2,500 more, bringing tuition alone close to $15,000 annually.

"Nobody is crying wolf anymore," said CBS13 Democratic political analyst Steve Maviglio. "We've been hearing these same headlines for a decade and we haven't had any tax increases."

But his Republican counterpart, Aaron McLear, said government spending is the real source of the state's problems.

"It's a false choice" he said. "The state's spending is out of whack. We are spending 400 percent more in the last 10 years on pensions and 30 percent less on UC and CSU higher education."

Students say they're tired of tuition hikes and hope voters will stand beside them in November.

"Financial aid is getting cut and prices are going up so I think it's just ridiculous at this point," one said.

"It's not just scary," said another. "It's frustrating."

And if tuition spikes $2,500 more, Airamus is banking on scraping together the funds to finish his even higher, higher education.

"If they raise the tuition I guess I'll have to find a second job or a third job or something," he said.