Graduate fee increase will jeopardize UC’s quality, prestige

Last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger introduced his 2004-2005
state budget with the majority of the state knowing there would be
deep cuts.

During his campaign, Schwarzenegger made a key promise to
protect education, which must include graduate education. However,
our governor has not only gone back on his campaign promise, but
has endangered the quality of education and the prestige of the
University of California system. Contrary to what we were led to
believe, education has become an expendable pawn in state politics
in order for Schwarzenegger to further his political agenda.

The governor has proposed a 40 percent fee increase for resident
graduate students and a 20 percent fee increase for non-resident
graduate students.

Such a dramatic increase in fees in such a short period of time
““ over 75 percent in the past two years ““ has left many
graduate students little opportunity to adjust, let alone a chance
to identify alternate funding sources to compensate.

Graduate and professional students are the building blocks that
determine the quality of education at the UC, and their ability to
succeed contributes to the prestige of the UC. Eliminating support
at the graduate level threatens both. Attracting the best and
brightest graduate and professional students helps bring in the
best faculty and vice versa. Strong faculty and the best graduate
students increase the level of education the UC can provide to the
undergraduate student body. Cutting-edge research developed by
graduate and professional students adds to the reputation of the UC
system worldwide.

The governor and the Legislature need to realize that by cutting
support at this level, it will turn away the very people who are
the foundation of a strong economic recovery and thus jeopardize
the state’s future.

I am pleased to let you know that your Graduate Student
Association has been and will continue to advocate on your behalf
and lobby against the possible fee increases. We are working with
UCLA’s state and federal lobbyists to develop a strategy. At
the state level, we will continue sending representatives to
California State Senate hearings to speak on the impact of budget
cuts to graduate and professional students and work with the UC
Student Association to lobby our state government.

We are also working at the other side of the spectrum by taking
this campaign on the offensive. I am pleased to announce that after
a year and half of work we have gotten the bill HR 3412 introduced
in Congress. Among its many provisions, this bill will directly
provide support for graduate students by making our academic
fellowships tax exempt and increase our loan limits. We ask all
graduate students to call their local Congressional representatives
and state support for this piece of legislation. We also encourage
those who would like to take a more proactive stance to contact GSA
to find out how you can get involved. We hope this bill passes this
year.

We would like to thank you for your continued support for your
Graduate Student Association.

Rathod is the GSA president.