University of California President Mark G. Yudof’s newest proposal to cover systemwide fees for students whose families earn below $60,000 annually isn’t a radical concept: Not only are the 1,100 students who would be affected by the plan already covered by federal aid and grant programs, but other prestigious research institutions have already adopted similar ideas.’ Simply put, Yudof’s proposal ‘mdash; named the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan ‘mdash; is a public-relations move created to make the already-available aid offered to low-income students seem more accessible.
And that’s exactly why it’s a good idea.
As worries of college affordability grow with increasing inaccessibility to private loans, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed Cal Grant cuts and the UC Board of Regents’ consideration to raise undergraduate student fees, many uniformed lower-income families whose children may be first-generation college applicants are unsure of whether they can afford a University of California education. By making a blanket guarantee for a certain income bracket and effectively publicizing it to families, the university will both restore confidence in higher education’s affordability and reduce confusing paperwork.
Even better, this measure’s annual $3.1 million cost, which would come from increasing the amount of fee revenue reserved for financial aid from 33 percent to 36 percent, wouldn’t affect the grants offered to UC students with family incomes between $60,000 and $100,000, both ensuring full aid to low-income families without cutting that of the middle class.
Paired with Yudof’s proposals to increase next year’s transfer student enrollment, the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan would ultimately push for a greater racial and socioeconomic mix and support the UC system’s goals of providing higher education to all California residents ‘mdash; an aspect of the UC mission threatened by state budget cuts.
While it’s obvious this proposal is the same old financial-aid system with a new title, at the very least it offers a spoonful of sugar to help struggling low-income families’ swallow sour economic times.