Lt. Governor John Garamendi and UC Regents Request UC Budget Without Damaging Student Tuition Hikes

 Garamendi now pushes Legislature and Governor to get to work and approve UC budget without tuition hikes or enrollment will be limited   

SAN FRANCISCO – Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, a University of California regent, gave the UC Regents high praise for sending the California Legislature and Governor a budget for the state’s 10 UC campuses that doesn’t include tuition increases but fully funds essential educational and research programs. Garamendi, who strongly urged the UC regents to remove the tuition hikes initially factored into the budget, said the UC Regents did the right thing to maintain the highest quality standards to advance critical research and give qualified California students access to the campuses.

“I am particularly pleased that the regents are not proposing a tuition increase,” Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi said. “The student fees have doubled in the last six years including a 10 percent fee increase in the current academic year. These increases have priced out far too many qualified California students from the UC system. Also, with the credit crunch now in play, it is extremely tough to get student loans and the last thing Californians need is a tuition increase.”

Garamendi said the California Legislature and Governor need to fully understand what is at stake for California students when taking action on the UC budget including a $815 million revenue increase to keep classes from being cut so students can graduate in four years, hire top rated professors and maintain world class research facilities.

“The proposed UC budget recognizes if the legislature and the Governor do not provide the funding as requested, enrollment will be limited and qualified students will not be admitted,” Garamendi said.

Lt. Governor John Garamendi Pushes UC Regents to Pass a Budget Without Crippling Student Tuition Hikes

Garamendi Supports Committee Motion Curtailing Freshmen Enrollment at UC Campuses Unless State Approves Adequate Funding
  

San Francisco –  Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, a University of California Regent, argued that the escalating UC tuition fees are making the public university system cost as much as private universities, today urged the UC Regents not to factor in a  $662 a year tuition increase when finalizing the UC budget.

At their board meeting today, the UC Regents Committee on Finance voted to curtail freshmen enrollment in 2009-2010 unless the Legislature includes a $815 million increase in revenue.  The revenue increase is needed to ensure classes are not canceled, students can earn a degree in four years, the university has the ability to hire top rated professors and UC retains their world class research facilities at the 10 campuses.  On Thursday, the UC Regents board must vote on the $19 billion budget proposal before it goes to the Legislature for action.

Lt. Governor John Garamendi Joins 150 Protesters Fighting Proposed Cuts to CSU Budget and Enrollment

Garamendi rallies Californians outside CSU trustees meeting saying you cannot have best educated workforce on the cheap

LONG BEACH – Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, a California State University trustee, today joined 150 protesters in Long Beach to fight the proposed state budget cuts that will prevent 10,000 qualified students from being admitted to CSU campuses and reduce the quality of education of California’s future workforce. The California Faculty Association, Alliance for CSU, students and State Employees Trade Council demonstrated outside the CSU trustee meeting and are backing Garamendi’s plan to take the fight to the people of California.

“You cannot have the best educated workforce on the cheap. We have put the education system on a starvation diet and each and every year it becomes weaker,” Garamendi said. “Students now take five years to graduate, professors we need we cannot hire, the men and women we need to keep our institutions going, keep the heat on, keep the air conditioning going, keep the toilets flushing cannot be hired. You cannot have the best education system in the world on the cheap. This is about the future of California.”

Garamendi urged the protesters to take the fight to the people of California because the proposed cuts will affect the foundation of the state’s future workforce including teachers, nurses and doctors. He asked supporters to raise awareness about the cuts by knocking on doors, writing letters, making phone calls and visiting legislators.

Lt. Governor John Garamendi Says CSU and UC Eligible High School Seniors Are Being Starved By State Budget Cutbacks