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UC students press Regents for food security, housing aid and lower course-material costs
Summary
During public comment, students and campus advocates asked the Regents to expand basic‑needs funding, speed up health responses to emergencies and reduce the cost of required course materials through open textbooks.
Multiple students and student‑led groups told the UC Board of Regents that food insecurity, housing instability and rising non‑tuition costs are harming retention and success.
Travis Hayden, a student at UC San Diego, said the system’s basic‑needs hubs have become “a lifeline for far too many.” He told the regents: “UCSD students are drowning right now, not in water, but in the challenges of attending school in 1 of the most affluent areas in the country without the resources or support they need to thrive.” Travis cited 2024 UC survey data that, he said, found “42 percent of undergraduate students surveyed are food insecure.”
Other speakers added calls for expanded, institutionally funded programs. Sherry (public commenter) asked the UC to “significantly expand institutionally funded basic needs programs,” noting that “44 percent of undergrads report experiencing food insecurity while over 16 percent face housing insecurity.” Jake (state board chair of CalPERS students) urged the system to adopt open textbooks to reduce course‑material costs, saying more than “65 percent of students report skipping purchasing course materials due to the price.”
Speakers also pressed for stronger campus health responses to emergencies. James (public commenter) said response to recent fires was “too gradual and slow” at UCLA and urged a more proactive student‑centered approach to public health, including access to Medi‑Cal where appropriate.
These comments were delivered during the public comment portion of the Regents meeting. No formal board actions on specific funding allocations, health policy changes or textbook mandates were recorded in the public comment segment of the transcript.
