Students, student leaders and advocacy groups told the University of California Board of Regents they are concerned about proposals to change the cohort tuition model and professional degree supplemental tuition (PDST) policies and urged the board to protect financial aid.
Speakers described the cohort tuition model — which sets tuition for an entering undergraduate class for multiple years — as leaving future cohorts to shoulder higher costs. Lucia Hermoso, a legislative aide to the UC Student Association and a UC Santa Barbara student, said proposals to raise the annual cap on tuition increases from 5% to 7% and to lower the portion set aside for financial aid from 45% to 35% would make the UC less affordable for future students and transfer students.
Several student speakers asked the regents to preserve the current 5% annual cap on tuition increases and to maintain a 45% return‑to‑aid policy. Andres Martinez Sabino, a fourth‑year UC Santa Cruz student, said a 10% proposed cut in return to aid would “further harm low‑income students” and urged the board to keep the 5% cap and 45% return to aid.
Graduate and professional students raised separate concerns about professional degree supplemental tuition. Marshall Caro, a master’s student at UC Berkeley, urged that increases in PDST be capped at 3% for California residents and 5% for nonresidents and asked the board to consider PDST waivers for Native American students and for students with dependents. Caro said PDST is not currently included in the Native American Opportunity Grant and noted that student parents make up about 10% of the graduate population; he urged the board to consider waivers to reduce financial barriers.
Advocates also urged the UC to expand institutional aid for students from mixed‑status families who avoid the Free Application for Federal Student Aid because of data‑sharing and immigration concerns. Denise Luna of Ed Trust West and Nancy Jedaitis of Institutional Solutions asked the system to leverage institutional aid to close the gap for students who use the California Dream Act instead of FAFSA and therefore forfeit federal aid like Pell Grants and federal loans.
Student‑parent advocates commended voluntary compliance with the GAINS for Student Parents Act and asked the system to issue cost‑of‑attendance guidance and straightforward student budgets to help campuses better serve student parents.
No formal board votes on tuition policy or PDST were recorded during the open session; several speakers asked that student input be included in deliberations.