Regents open renewal debate on cohort tuition plan; students urge delay and more study

The University of California Board of Regents reviewed options for renewing its Tuition Stability Plan at a July 17 discussion item, outlining potential changes that include increasing the plan's cap from 5% to 7%, reducing the share of incremental tuition redirected to financial aid from 45% to 35%, and adding an extra 1.0'to 1.5 percentage points to the inflation index used to set cohort rates. Nathan (staff member) and Kain (staff member), who led the presentation, said campuses have used cohort revenue to support operations and financial aid but are facing budget pressures.

Why it matters: the cohort model locks tuition for incoming undergraduate cohorts for the duration of their program to give students and families predictability; changes to the cap, the return-to-aid share, or the inflation index would alter who pays and how much aid is available. "For the first 2 years of the tuition stability plan, the student self help declined…