Student fee raise to further hinder geographic diversity

By Mark Chen

As one of the very few out-of-state students attending UCLA, I
think the regent’s recent vote to raise our tuition is a poor
choice.

In a time and place where diversity is long sought after and
praised, the regents have failed to promote one kind of diversity
UCLA, and other UC campuses, lack: geographic diversity. The UC as
a system constantly promotes its ethnic, cultural, language and
lifestyle diversity. I could understand people not knowing where
Philadelphia was located in my home state, but when I had to
explain where Pennsylvania was, I was completely shocked. After
receiving this question numerous times, I concluded the national
map California public schools are provided with ends at the Rocky
Mountains.

The UC system also compares itself against highly competitive
private schools across the nation, touting an education of
comparable or higher caliber for a fraction of the cost. To an
out-of-state student, it looks great. An education at the most
respected public university in the nation, along with the resources
only a large system could possess, for less than four years at a
private school, despite the additional 4,000 odd-dollars tacked on
each quarter.

We, as out-of-state students, move thousands of miles across the
nation to gain the knowledge and experience that we can get at a
UC. While the vast majority of campus arrives by car, we arrive by
plane, toting large suitcases through airports, the rest of our
belongings in limbo between post offices. Unfortunately, these
transportation and shipping costs are additional fees to be paid
out, thereby increasing the overall expense of our education.
We’re cut off from the vast majority of financial awards the
university offers. During the application period two falls ago, I
remember reading every scholarship description and then being
disappointed as at the end, each noted “For California
residents only.”

Although most out-of-state students (myself included) are
willing to pay the extra tuition and the extra money to move back
and forth, there is a point where it no longer becomes economically
sound to pursue an education across the nation when going to a
private school closer to home is cheaper and less stressful. When
it reaches that point, the geographical diversity currently lacking
within the UC system will drop even further, and only lend to a
California-centric mind-set already evident in some students.

Much applause to Student Regent Dextor Ligot-Gordon for casting
the only dissenting vote. He had the foresight to see a raise in
fees is a decrease in diversity. If our extra monies are being used
to save the outreach programs, which were cut, then how about some
outreach programs to the other 49 states to increase the caliber of
education for the in-state students? Instead of visiting 49 other
states, bring the other 49 states to California.