Mederos-Mata 1
Manuel Mederos-Mata
Mrs. Mora
English 1A: Final Paper
5 August 2022
Freezing College Tuition
In regards to college, California should freeze tuition in both the UC and CSU system.
A reason for doing so is freezing tuition could potentially make college more available
for everyone.
The situation in California in regards to applicants goes as follows; according to the
article “The University of California System Sees Record-Breaking Surge in Latinx Applicants”
Latinos made up 38% of applicants for the fall of 2022 (INSIGHT). This is important because
according to the Public Policy Institute of California(PPIC) 21.4% of Latinos live in poverty
which is higher than any other minority in California (PPIC).
So being able to provide access to higher education for everyone is important in
California since one-fifth of the third of Latinos who apply to UCs live in poverty.
The UC and CSU system could benefit from a tuition cap by opening the doors for
students to get a higher education, it could do this because other colleges have already shown an
increase in their enrollment by having frozen tuition.
For example, Illinois faced the harsh challenge of dealing with enrollment drops in both
state colleges and universities. The University of Illinois was one of the many higher education
facilities that had to deal with this problem. In the article “Universities in Illinois Extend Tuition
Freezes to Stem Enrollment Slides.” by Lee Gardner, the University of Illinois at Springfield saw
an enrollment drop of almost 9%. Not to mention the number of freshman students declined by
more than 7% (Gardner 20).
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The enrollment rate in other Universities around Illinois also saw a decline, most notably
at Governor State University and Chicago State University seeing a decline of around 11% in the
2016-2017 academic year (Gardner 20).
To try and resolve the issue the state of Illinois implemented a tuition cap for the
2017-2018 academic year. Although the enrollment rate hadn’t increased throughout the state,
the enrollment rate was stabilized (Gardner 20).
The results of Illinois don’t demonstrate an increase in enrollment but solved a decrease
of nearly 1/10 of enrollment throughout the state. The information is relevant because after the
2017-2018 academic year once again tuition was frozen, so the chances of having frozen tuition
again after trying it are high as demonstrated by Illinois (Gardner 20).
On the same concept of allowing anyone to get a chance at higher education in
Wisconsin. Frozen tuition has been in place since 2013 in the University of Wisconsin system. In
the article “UW System keeps tuition intact for years ahead.” Regent Kyle Weatherly spoke to a
group of University of Wisconsin Whitewater students from Illinois that revealed that they
attended UW-Whitewater because of the cost (Hartfield).
Those students happen to all be out of state, normally tuition costs for out-of-state
students are more than double that of in-state tuition so for students from out of state to want to
attend a University outside of their state is rare (Hartfield).
The UC and CSU system could benefit by having even more students apply, particularly
by offering those from out of state a chance at affordable tuition.
Another example of tuition opening the door to everyone in Virginia. According to the
article “Virginia Public Colleges Freeze Tuition for Coming Year” by Susan Svrluga the
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2019-2020 academic year was set to have a tuition cap, which came as a surprise and relief to
many Virginia residents as its the first of its kind in two decades.
The relief is expressed by James Toscano the president of the Partners for College
Affordability and Public trust referring to freezing tuition as “a significant victory for students
and families in Virginia” (Svrluga).
The main deterrent to students in Virginia was the fact that the state only covers less than
two-thirds of the cost (Svrluga). In 2018-2019, students in Virginia had to somehow manage to
pay for more than half of their tuition (Svrluga).
So having a time when financial burdens were lifted as a result of a tuition freeze allowed
for the possibility of paying for tuition without the struggles of having to deal with more than
half of the cost.
In addition, aside from saving students from reconsidering a higher education; on some
occasions like that of the University of Virginia the tuition costs were canceled by the board of
directors for the 2018-2019 academic year which was going to see a 2.9% increase (Svrluga).
A third example of a tuition freeze being a success is in Washington. According to the
Financial reports of the University of Washington in 2021 totaled over $437 million which was
an increase from the $397 million in 2021. Between the years 2015-2017 approved a tuition
policy that consisted of a tuition cap. So the steady increase of revenue from year to year in
combination with the policy means that Washington was able to keep frozen tuition (2021
Financial Report 19). In regards to this topic, the tuition rates in 2016 were 5% less than that in
2016 (2021 Financial Report 19).
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With this in mind, the University of Washington demonstrated that revenue can be
generated at an increasing rate each year while maintaining a frozen tuition policy reducing costs
and making it more accessible for those that can’t pay outrageous prices.
The ability of frozen tuition to make college more accessible to anyone by reducing the
cost would make it a viable option for UCs and CSUs to adopt. Although UCs and CSUs have
never struggled when it comes to enrollment, as stated by the official UC website in 2022 the UC
system broke its previous record of applicants for fall 2022 with 210, 840 applications they can
benefit from getting more revenue.
For example in Washington revenue increased even this past year consistently from last
year even after having frozen tuition since 2015 (2021 Financial Report 19).
The dilemma still happens to be about affordability in California which leads to student
debt. Having debt or even just seeing the cost of tuition can be a deterrent to possible students for
UCs and CSUs which could use those opportunities. According to the “Average debt of
university graduates in the United States in 2020, by state” in Statista California graduates on
average owe $21,125.
California is known to be expensive, it's a very expensive place to live especially in areas
around college campuses. In the Statista graph called “Least Affordable Off-campus Rents in
College Towns in the United States 2017” California has 4 out of 10 of the most expensive
college towns in America. So clearly attending a UC or CSU may be out of the financial reach of
those that can’t pay for tuition and other costs.
`
Even though there are reasons why California should freeze college tuition it should not
freeze tuition in the UC and CSU system. Although it can be argued that freezing college tuition
makes college more affordable and available for anyone there are clear downsides as well.
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One of these downsides is that if tuition is frozen then non-tuition costs will rise.
According to the Student Expenses and Resource, Survey SEARS cited in the article
“Non-Tuition Expenses Hinder California College Students” the average expense per month for
students in California for non-tuition is $1,991 (Smith).
That would equate to over $18,000 over a 9-month academic year. In comparison,
according to the same article, the tuition and fees for the UC system are around $12,500 while
the CSU system is $6,000 (Smith).
Noticeably the expenses outside of tuition are costly for students which could end up
rising because of revenue not being generated in recent years. For example, the article “UC
Berkeley faces a budget crisis like no other” by Will Kane points out the fact that UC Berkeley
was estimated to have failed to raise $340 million in the 2020-2021 academic year.
In addition, the same article mentions that earlier in the year UC Berkeley had seen a
surplus of $60 million. The loss in revenue so quickly had to be made up one way or another to
avoid financial struggles. The consequence of the unreliability of tuition to help the university
financially is faculty shrinking. This is evident by what is stated in the article “Tuition freezes
cool prices for some while affecting financial aid” where in the University of Wisconsin since
2014 there had been a faculty shrinking (D’Amato).
An example of frozen tuition failing because of a lack of funds is in England because
according to the article “Tuition fee freeze in England tightens the screw on Universities” the
quality of courses has declined (Staton). Also in the same article because of rising costs and
frozen tuition not being a viable source of revenue for the Universities they struggle financially
(Staton).
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In addition, the same article quotes Richard Taylor the chief operating officer of
Loughborough University saying it “would bring “significant challenges” in a sector that derives
about half its revenues from domestic student fees,” (Staton). The significant challenges are
present in places where frozen tuition is happening such as in Wisconsin where UW-Madison
had the fourth-slowest increase in research and development among the top 30 research
Universities (D’Amato).
Furthermore, the cost of non-tuition has always been major which is emphasized in the
article “The Soul-Crushing Cost of College in California, Explained” with a graph showing that
over 50% of the cost at UCs and CSUs is due to non-tuition costs (Mello).
Also according to the Public Policy Institute of California in the first figure noticeably at
UCs and CSUs, the majority of the cost is in housing, books, and other costs (Cook, Jackson,
Perez 4). The cost of things outside of tuition is expensive and could see a possible increase if
tuition freezes to make up for the missed revenue.
California is expensive, it is evident because according to the article “Cost of Living in
California” the average city in California costs 38% higher than the national average in the U.S
(Solutions).
So with the increased cost of everything including books and especially living and
California the freezing of tuition is a bad idea. This concept is aided by the example of England
where the source of revenue from student fees could not be depended on decreasing the level of
education and bringing revenue struggles.
Another reason why Universities should not freeze tuition is that although it is effective
in some areas it would not be the proper fit in California.
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California is in no need of frozen tuition because according to the article “California’s
new budget includes historic funding for education” the total state funding for schools and
community college is 128 billion dollars for the 2022-2023 academic year (Fensterwald, Xie).
Not only that but also found in the article “California’s new budget includes historic
funding for education” the funding for financial aid such as a new spending plan for the Cal
Grant has increased by 5% (Fensterwald, Xie).
California is also in no need of a tuition cap because the use of a tuition cap is to promote
a more affordable higher education that brings in more students. Yet California is in no need of
more student applicants. According to the official University of California website for the fall
2022 academic year, the UC system received 210, 840 (UC Office of the President).
In addition, the concept of a tuition cap is said to benefit low-income communities yet in
the same article by the UC official website applicants from low-income communities grew to
46% for transfer students and 56% for applications.
Also, affordability isn’t an issue in California, this is revealed by the article “How Much
Does It Cost to Study and Live in California '' where on average the in-state tuition was $8,200 in
the 2019-2020 academic year at a four-year University (Mullinix). In comparison, the national
average was $9,350 (Mullinix).
There is a difference between the average tuition cost between California and the national
average. The article reveals that education costs are lower in California so the decision of
implementing a tuition cap is not needed.
A third reason why a tuition cap should not be added in California is the wealthy
benefit more than low-income families. An argument for implementing frozen college tuition is
helping low-income families yet they aren’t the main beneficiaries of frozen tuition.
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According to the article “Tuition freezes cool prices for some while affecting
financial aid” those who pay “Sticker Prices” get the most benefit from frozen college tuition
(D’Amato). Sticker Prices refer to those too wealthy to receive financial aid from the
government and have to pay out of pocket.
The same article compares university prices to those of airplane tickets and hotels since
the price varies per person (D’Amato). The university charges what people are willing to pay, so
a discount would attract more wealthy individuals (D’Amato).
This isn’t just a theory either, in the University of Wisconsin system the net price for
higher education rose for low-income families in the last 10 years (D’Amato). An example of
tuition rising but helping low-income families with the cost is the University of Chicago which
increased tuition in the 2021-2022 academic year (D’Amato). Yet with financial help,
low-income students paid less than a tenth of the $75,000 tuition (‘Amato).
Chicago's success with not freezing tuition and still being able to help its students also
happened in Michigan University Ann Arbor which saw a tuition increase but decreased the cost
for families making $75,000 or less (D’Amato). In Michigan, the costs got so low during the
2018-2019 academic year that even when compared to 2010-2011 costs it was lower (D”Amato).
So even though it can be argued that freezing tuition keeps costs down and helps
low-income individuals get to college, in reality as shown in different states and countries
freezing college tuition is a mistake.
Freezing tuition is controversial, with both positives and negatives but an option that
could please both parties is implementing a “promise” program in UCs and CSUs.
According to Laura Perna and Edward Smith, a “promise” program works differently
than traditional financial programs. The main target of these programs is those that live in a
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specific area that meets local or state requirements and/or attends a particular school (Perna,
Smith).
The existence of “promise” programs in California according to Mary Rauner and others
isn’t new. The research conducted in the summer of 2018 by California College Promise
Program staff reveals that there are 121 “promise” programs available in California (Rauner, et
al). Out of those 121, ninety-one percent are in community colleges around California (Rauner,
et al).
With the many programs available a “promise” program in UCs and CSUs could be
beneficial because in multiple communities students qualify for two or more programs (Rauner,
et al). The support offered in these programs isn’t just financial but 82 of those programs also
require students to participate in a form of support like academic counseling (Rauner, et al).
Academic help is even offered in 60% of these programs that offer tutoring, group study
sessions, workshops, and academic success strategies. While 51% of these programs offer
mentoring and peer mentoring.
Other states have forms of “promise” programs, like Oregon with its successful statewide
“promise” program. Kri Burkander and other collaborators noted that from 2016 to 2019 the
Oregon Promise awarded more than $24 million to pay for community college which lowered
the cost for over 18,588 students.
A more specific beneficiary of the Oregon Promise comes in the form of helping students
in rural areas (Burkander, et al Oregon). Institutional Administrators saw a benefit to students
who live in rural areas whose families own large assets like farms which prevents them from
receiving the aid that they need which was substituted by the aid provided by the Oregon
Promise (Burkander, et al Oregon).
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An extension of the Oregon Promise is its middle-dollar program that is designed to make
an additional contribution to financial aid to pay for things outside of tuition like books, housing,
and transportation (Burkander, et al Oregon).
Oregon’s Promise tries to reach as many people as possible even going to the extent of
offering an alternative to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) called Oregon
Student Aid Application (ORSAA) which allows undocumented students to apply for not only
financial aid but also make them eligible for the Oregon Promise program (Burkander, et al
Oregon).
Greater access to higher education in Oregon can also be attributed to the Oregon
Promise. Interviewers, admissions, and marketing staff in community colleges in Oregon saw an
increase in activity since the implementation of the Oregon Promise (Burkander, et al Oregon).
Not only that but the number of 18-year-olds applying for community college increased by 4%
(Burkander, et al Oregon).
The first year the Oregon Promise was set in place there was no Expected Family
Contribution (EFC) cap which meant that because the program had so many eligible students
apply there were cost overruns (Burkander, et al Oregon). This issue was solved with an EFC cap
the following year of $18,000 then changed to $20,000 until the program decided to have an
annually adjusted cap based on demand and funds (Burkander, et al Oregon).
Another successful example of a “promise” program is in Tennessee with the Tennessee
Promise. According to Kasey Meehan and others, the Tennessee Promise is attributed to
encouraging more high school and college students to attend or reconsider their college paths. To
elaborate, in the 2017-2018 academic year more than 28.1 million dollars were given to Promise
students (Meehan, et al).
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The Tennessee Promise also helped increase the completion rate for FAFSA, with an
increase in completion the cost of out-of-pocket expenses decreased for more than 50,000
students statewide (Meehan, et al).
Since the implementation of the Tennessee Promise in 2015, the state saw increased
enrollment in community colleges from 58.4% to 64.4% in the same year (Meehan, et al). Even
with time passing the enrollment rate remained constantly higher than before the promise with it
being 63.1% in 2016 and 63.2% in 2017 (Meehan, et al).
A third example of a successful state-wide “promise” program is Nevada’s Promise
program. Victoria Ballerini and several others state that Nevada’s Promise improved affordability
in three ways. One of those ways was by increasing the number of FAFSA forms filled out, the
program also provided state-funded last-dollar awards for any student that couldn’t fill out the
FAFSA form, and finally increased the number of students receiving state grants (Ballerini, et
al).
The Nevada Promise program also provides aid to undocumented students by allowing a
separate state aid form to be filled out in place of the FAFSA form that allows for college to be
more affordable despite legal status (Ballerini, et al).
The fourth example of a successful “promise” program is in Detroit called Detroit
Promise Path. According to Alyssa Ratledge and the Manpower Demonstration Research
Corporation (MDRC) since its launch in the 2016-2017 academic year more than 95% of
students reached out to the coaches of the program. These coaches are one of four parts of the
Detroit Promise Path program to guide students through academic and personal problems
(Ratledge, MDRC).
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Being in contact with a coach to guide students could be helpful. Still, the other parts of
the program like financial support depend on if meetings with coaches happen to serve as an
incentive for greater participation (Ratledge, MDRC). Not only that but the program also gets
students more involved during the summer while also being monitored and messaged by
behavioral science (Ratledge, MDRC).
The MDRC specifically designed this program after designing and evaluating other
community college programs which lead to a successful operation with the development of
cost-effective management strategies (Ratledge, MDRC ).
What is even more impressive about the results of the Detroit Promise is that ⅔ of the
enrolled students met with the coaches as directed in its first year (Ratledge, MDRC).
Participation was high but when receiving feedback from the students themselves through a
survey the results indicated that 96% of students in contact with a coach deemed the program
“valuable” or “very valuable” (Ratledge, MDRC).
The primary beneficiary of the Detroit Promise is less fortunate students from black
backgrounds; 81% of those receiving aid from the program are African-American, while 78% of
those students don’t live with a parent that has earned a bachelor’s degree (Ratledge, MDRC).
In addition, another successful “promise” program is occurring in Delaware with its
SEED Scholarship. According to Kri Bukander and others in a different article since the 2018-2019
academic year, three years of tuition are paid for eligible students which has made it favored
politically.
The main beneficiaries of the SEED Scholarship are those that just miss out on financial
aid (Bukander, et al Delaware). One student even went as far as to say that “it's either that or
nothing” when it came to receiving aid (Bukander, et al Delaware). The “promise” program gave
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the ability to those that can’t pay or don’t want to be in massive debt a chance (Bukander, et al
5).
A benefit of the SEED Scholarship like other similar programs allows undocumented
students to receive aid because Delaware offers an alternative to FAFSA, making it one of five
statewide last-dollar programs to do so (Bukander, et al Delaware).
The SEED Scholarship also increased the involvement in academic services of students
receiving aid compared to SEED non-recipients at Delaware Tech (Bukander, et al 8 Delaware).
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