A group of students, parents and concerned Californians aim to stop the rising college tuition in California. The Students and Parents for Tuition Relief Now campaign is working to put a proposition on the Nov. 2008 ballot. If it passes, it will stop tuition increases for five years. It will also tie future fee increases to inflation for all California State University and University of California schools.
The campaign is joined by The Greenlining Institute, which is a multi-ethnic public policy organization. Together their goal is to organize campuses, students and parents to get the support needed to place the initiative on the ballot. This could be the first ever student-led ballot initiative in California history.
Tuition at California State Universities increased from $1,428 to $2,520 over the past six years. The Board of Trustees plans to pass another 10 percent increase if the State Legislature doesn't provide enough money to fund the California State University system. The campaign filed the initiative with the California Attorney General's office. It is the first step in a several-month-long process.
Greenlining Institute Director of Special Projects Chris Vaeth said the next step is to gather signatures to put the initiative on the ballot. In order to get it on the ballot, the campaign needs to get 434,000 signatures between January and April.
To get these signatures, the campaign uses volunteers to get the message out to campuses statewide. "We have met so many student groups," Vaeth said. "Word is starting to spread like a wildfire."
The initiative proposes a one percent tax on people who make more than $1 million a year. The tax will help fund the tuition freeze.
Vaeth said these people can afford the tax and they will also benefit from it. If more people can afford to go to college there will be a more educated work force.
"No one loves taxes," he said, "but it's the best way to fund [the initiative]." As of yet, The California Taxpayers' Association said it has taken no position on the initiative, that would create a panel of faculty, students and administrators - appointed by the governor - to report on how money generated from the tax is used. "We want to make sure the money raised is used for students," Vaeth said.
California State University spokesperson Paul Browning said the state university system hasn't taken a position on the initiative yet, but supported student efforts to take charge.
Legislative Affairs Vice President for Associated Students and campaign volunteer Jason Robo said the rising number of barriers to education needs to stop. "If education is a public good," he said, "why do we keep putting fees on the backs of students?"
The campaign wants a student organizer on every campus to educate students about the initiative. Humboldt State lacks one.
"I'm pretty much the point person right now," Robo said.
As point person, Robo hands out information to parents and students whenever an opportunity arises. He said that if college fees in California continue to rise, more students will have to stress about money and they won't be able to focus on their education.
"There's always going to be those people who are on the edge," he said.
Taking out loans is one way students can pay for college. According to the Greenlining Institute, the average California State University student has an average debt of $13,554. Humboldt State student Emily Greenspan has about $15,000 in loan debt. She had to pay out of her pocket to go to school this year.
"It has left me with less money left over for what I need," she said.
Be the first to comment on this article!