2008 Woodie Awards
Students and parents push to limit college fee increases
An initative on the 2008 ballot in California might do the job
John C. Osborn
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Campus
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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]."
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]."
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