University of California Student Association meets at UCLA to discuss lobbying for DREAM Act, future of tuition for UC
Gilberto Soria, left, UCSA legislative liason and legislative committee chair, discusses UCSA advocacy issues with fourth-year psychobiology student Cristopher Santos, the Undergraduate Students Association Council’s external vice president.
By Naheed Rajwani
May 8, 2011 11:44 p.m.
On the heels of a recent victory for the California DREAM Act and threats of tuition hikes, board members of the University of California Student Association met at UCLA this weekend to discuss ramping up visibility for student advocacy efforts.
Third-year UCLA political science student Gilberto Soria, a legislative liaison with UCSA, bought bagels and coffee for 40 people in preparation for an eight-hour discussion about the future of the University of California system. Student lobbyists are playing an increasingly active role in the California legislature, he said.
“Our main goal now is visibility,” Soria said. “It’s critical to the organization to get people to know what UCSA is about.”
Soria is organizing a lobby with the San Fernando Valley Dream Team and Los Angeles Mission College this month. The goal is to form a coalition with other constituents to convince assembly members to move the California DREAM Act forward in the legislature, Soria said.
Last Thursday, the California State Assembly passed a component of the DREAM Act that would allow undocumented students to receive financial aid from public universities in California. The bill is now headed to the state Senate.
The other part of the bill would allow students who meet in-state tuition requirements to apply for and receive Cal Grants. This part is still pending legislative action, and UCSA has been working toward its passage, Soria said.
UCSA is planning a call-in day on May 18 to generate political momentum for the California DREAM Act. The participation of UCLA students in the campaign is crucial because they are geographically closer to the legislative leadership, said Christine Byon, the organizing and communications director for UCSA.
The UCSA Board of Directors also passed a resolution in support of a long-term student fee tuition policy. Such a policy would require the state to fund at least half of the cost of public higher education and to provide a minimum six-month notice of a tuition increase, according to the resolution.
UCSA stated in the resolution that it also wants the UC Board of Regents to consult with students regarding tuition increase proposals and will share these provisions with the California legislature with the hopes of co-sponsoring future legislation.
On Friday, UC President Mark Yudof confirmed a prediction from Gov. Jerry Brown that UC tuition would rise to more than $20,000 a year if a package of tax extensions fails to pass.
“I’ve looked at the numbers until I’m blue in the face, and I don’t think the governor is far off in his prediction,” Yudof told the Senate Budget Committee. He warned that tuition would rise “geometrically” with future cuts from the state.
“This is a critical time for students. The state of California is at a key juncture; it can either continue to support higher education or it can abandon the foundation on which it was founded,” said Matt Haney, executive director of UCSA.
UCLA alumna Jeanalee Obergfell, who serves as a field organizer for the UCSA Board, said she participated in a campaign led by UCSA in response to fee increases as an undergraduate at UCLA. The students were able to secure a fee freeze from former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for the 2006-2007 academic year, Obergfell said.
“This organization has been a big part of my experience as a Bruin. It has helped me to believe that change is possible,” she added.
