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Drafted bill would ease tuition costs

By Jae Yang

Feb. 12, 2009 11:33 p.m.

The University of California Student Association has drafted the College Affordability Act to help ease the rising cost of public education.

Later this month, California Assemblyman Curren Price (D-Inglewood) will introduce the legislation to the assembly. It must then go through three committees before being voted on, said Jesse Melgar, board chair of UCSA and external vice president of the Undergraduate Students Association Council.

The bill would freeze UC fee increases for five years, and after this period, any increases would be determined by inflation.

In addition, a 1 percent tax will be levied on those with incomes greater than $1 million, with 60 percent of the raised funds going to the UC and California State University systems.

This week, UCSA and the USAC hosted a Week of Education to publicize a postcard campaign, to be sent to Assemblymen Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and Charles Calderon (D-Montebello), the respective chairs of the Appropriations Committee and Committee on Revenue.

“UC students and their families have unfairly been bearing the burden of balancing the state budget,” the postcard read.

“By being forced to face an 85 percent fee increase ever since 2001, UC students need you now more than ever to be a leader in protecting higher education in the state budget.”

Brandon Harrison, chair of the legislative affairs committee and legislative liaison to the External Vice President’s office, said the legislation will likely pass in the Higher Education Committee, so getting the approval of de León and Calderon is an important step in getting the bill to move forward.

Melgar said the goal is to have UCLA students sign 4,000 postcards by Feb. 28.

As part of the Week of Education, a teach-in on Tuesday, educated representatives from 30 campus organizations on the contents of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget cuts.

The governor has proposed a 9.3 percent tuition increase, a $209 million cut to the UC, and an $87.5 million cut to Cal Grants, according to Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal for 2009-2010.

To cap off the week, six speakers representing organizations such as Samahang Pilipino at UCLA and the Bruin Democrats stood at the podium at Meyerhoff Park on Thursday to speak on how the budget cuts are affecting their organizations.

Mark Jimenez, chair of the Student Initiated Access Committee, said at the podium that the budget cuts would affect programs such as the Early Academic Outreach Program, which provides college preparation for students in low-income areas.

He said his office has written letters to university administrators and elected officials to publicise their circumstances.

A ballot initiative sponsored by Tuition Relief Now failed to gather enough signatures last year. The bill contained similar provisions to the UCSA-sponsored legislation.

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