JOHN CHIANG PERSONALLY URGES UC BOARD OF REGENTS TO DELAY ANY TUITION AND FEE HIKES TO STOP RISING EDUCATION COSTS FOR 240,000 CA STUDENTS IMMEDIATELY

CHIANG SENDS LETTER TO EACH UC REGENT

 NEWSOM NO SHOWS AT REGENTS MEETING

 

Speaking at the University of California (UC) Board of Regents meeting this morning, State Treasurer John Chiang urged The Regents to delay any tuition and fee hikes through at least 2019. Yesterday, Chiang mailed a letter, and today delivered copies of those letters, to each Regent asking them to not only delay any increase in tuition and fees, but he offered to work with The Regents to actually roll back higher education costs and make a UC education more affordable.

“There’s no better university system then the University of California — not in the United States, not in the world,” said Chiang. “But in recent decades, tuition has tripled for UC undergrads, with room, board, and books now costing up to $30,000 each year. That’s why I’m calling on the University of California Board of Regents to suspend all tuition and fee increases till at least 2019. As the only person in California history elected to the state’s three financial positions, I understand, better than most, the toll these rising costs are having on our students, but on our economy as well.”

The high cost of tuition is impacting California’s workforce gap, with some experts saying the state will fall 1.1 million college graduates short of economic demand by 2030.

To address California’s rising higher education costs, Chiang plans to follow-up on his letter and speech by releasing a “California Road Map for Affordable and Accessible Higher Education” in the next few days. Chiang’s Road Map will make higher education more accessible by not only calling for a suspension of tuition and fee increases at the University of California, but by also calling for an actual reduction in tuition and fees for all California students.

Before today’s meeting, Chiang had mailed individualized letters to each member of the Board of Regents urging them to delay any increases. The Board of Regents includes: Chair George Kieffer, Vice Chair John A. Pérez, Governor Jerry Brown, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, UC President Janet Napolitano, J. Alberto Lemus, Francesco Mancia, Maria Anguiano, Richard C. Blum, Gareth Elliott, Howard “Peter” Guber, Sherry L. Lansing, Hadi Makarechian, Paul Monge, Eloy Ortiz Oakley, Lark Park, Bonnie Reiss, Richard Sherman, Ellen Tauscher, Charlene Zettel, Darin Anderson, Devon Graves, and Jason Morimoto.

Chiang added, “With greater debt, it’ll be harder for college graduates to buy a home, start a family, and save for retirement. Resolving this issue is going to take a comprehensive approach to address our higher education funding challenges. I’m committed to working alongside the UC Board of Regents to find a long-term, permanent solution to stop further fee increases, as well as reverse tuition and fee costs, so we can make higher education more accessible and affordable for all of California’s students.”

Gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom — an Ex Officio Member of the Board of Regents — did not show up at today’s UC Regents meeting.