Students for California's Future: News

December 14th - 20th, 2009

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Students seek clout beyond campuses - An earlier generation of college students took on the Vietnam War. Now a new generation is poised to take on the mess in Sacramento. San Francisco Chronicle

State university fee hikes are a test many families can't pass - The budget crisis afflicting California State University could not have come at a worse time for Berenice Vite and Rafael Curiel, whose son Alonso is a sophomore at Cal State Long Beach. As the university was imposing a 32% student fee hike this year, Curiel underwent two shoulder surgeries and lost his job at a medical equipment firm. Los Angeles Times

Students resist rising costs and cutbacks - The myth of upward mobility through education is the basis of the so-called “American Dream.” But college education has become a financial Mount Everest that the majority of the working class cannot climb. Workers World

PD Editorial: Higher Ed - Fewer students are completing college at a time when a growing number of jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree. By 2025, a Public Policy Institute of California study estimates that 40 percent of all jobs in the state will require a college degree, but less than a third of working-age adults will have one. The time to address this shortfall is now. But anyone who thinks the dangerous antics last weekend advance the cause is sadly mistaken. Press Democrat

Next Chapter: update on the California budget cuts' impact on Bay Area higher education - Impassioned student protesters raised their voices today at Oakland's Laney College after the Board of Trustees supported state budget cuts and higher tuition. Fallout from the California state budget cuts has affected thousands of students and faculty. Examiner.com

UC offsetting fee increases with increased aid - The university claims that the combination of state, federal and institutional grant aid and tax credits will ensure that three-fourths of students who come from families with incomes below $180,000 will not be affected by the mid-year increase. Most students receiving grants from UC or the state will see no increase in their fees next year, either. San Francisco Chronicle

Protestors Vandalize University of California-Berkeley Chancellor's House - We've spent a lot of time covering the ongoing budget crisis in the University of California system. Protests made national news as students occupied campus buildings. It was hard not to feel for the students, who were upset with the state university system's decision to increase fees by 32 percent in January. But Berkeley students took things a bit too far this weekend, trashing University of California–Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau's campus residence. U.S. News & World Report

Editorial: UC students' violent behavior - Once again, protests against student fees and budget cuts have been hijacked by a few idiots who think violence is a better idea than actual advocacy. Police took eight people into custody early Saturday, after a crowd of angry protesters attacked UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau’s on-campus residence, breaking windows and throwing burning torches in protest of fee hikes and budget cuts, authorities said. The Orion

Here's why UC protestors aren't getting empathy - Now here’s a novel way to prevent the University of California from incurring more costs that in turn impact what students pay for tuition – damage buildings. Manteca Bulletin