California’s college mess

[xchrom]

http://www.salon.com/2012/04/18/californias_college_mess/

If increasing access to quality higher education is as crucial to U.S. economic growth as everybody seems to think it is, then two news item from California this week deliver a simple, straightforward message: We’re screwed.

1) Ace education reporter Nanette Asimov reported on Tuesday in the San Francisco Chronicle that the California State University system is withholding around $90 million in cash grants previously allocated to graduate students in the CSU system.

Graduate students across the 23-campus system began receiving financial aid notices this week and were astonished to see that the State University Grant that takes care of tuition for low-income students was missing. In its place was the offer of a federal loan at 6.8 percent interest.

2) Also on Tuesday, University of California officials announced a sharp increase in out-of-state student admissions to the U.C. system:

More than 23 percent of all those incoming freshmen will be out-of-state and international students who pay nearly three times more than California residents to attend UC…. The figures mark a big jump from last fall, when 18 percent of admissions were from out of state. And it’s almost double the percentage of foreign and non-California residents who were admitted in fall 2009.

The common link to these two data points: California’s increasing inability to fund its public university system. The CSU system has already weathered a 33 percent cut in its overall state funding — $1 billion — over the last four years, and faces another $200 million cut if Gov. Jerry Brown fails to convince voters to pass a state initiative authorizing a tax hike this November.

[lunatica]

1. Yup. They're downsizing the staff again

Pretending that it's a great move to be more efficient.

I've already been through one layoff and managed to get rehired in 2009. We already went through furloughs too. Now we're facing another round of layoffs, and it's my job classification that's getting it again. I work in UC Berkeley.

[joeglow3]

2. Thanks, in no small part, to California's fucked up state constitution.

[Fumesucker]

3. In business news: Silicon Valley Firms Say More H1B Visas Are Needed, Not Enough Educated Americans.

[xchrom]

4. +1

[pstokely]

5. They can always move to Missouri and get in-state tuition at Mizzou after a year

Even out-of-state tuition in MO might be cheaper than in-state tuition in CA

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2012/04/18/students-see-gaining-residency-high-priority/

[mike_c]

6. don't get me started....

Charles Reed has been a disaster for the CSU.