Three referendums on the May election ballot could add $87 to UCLA undergraduate students’ quarterly fees, generating more than $8.6 million annually.

UCLA undergraduate students will vote in May on three referendums that would increase their quarterly fees beginning fall 2026. The approved referendums include the Student Success Referendum, Bruin Bash Referendum and Bruin Life and Undergraduate Experience Fee Referendum. 

The Student Success Referendum would add a new $55 quarterly fee to fund 10 diversity and student support centers, including the Latinx Success Center, Academic Advancement Program, Transfer Student Center, Veteran Resource Center, Dashew Center, LGBTQ Campus Resource Center, Black Bruin Resource Center, Center for Community College Partnerships, American Indian Community Center and Pacific Islander Resource Center.

“The Bruin Success Referendum addresses the critical need for consistent and sustainable funding to support the academic achievement, professional development, and holistic well-being of all students at UCLA,” the written referendum proposal said.

Susie Turner, a second-year African American studies and public affairs student, said the support centers are a fundamental part of UCLA’s service to students and help UCLA as an institution invest in student success.

“Every student, regardless of background, can benefit from these centers, whether through academic guidance, community-building or leadership development,” Turner said.

The Bruin Bash Referendum would increase the existing Bruin Bash quarterly fee from $1.87 to $5 per quarter to cover the costs of artist honorariums and venue facilities. Currently, the Bruin Bash fee only covers about 40% of the event’s total costs, according to the referendum proposal language. The event draws on inconsistent supplemental funding, which restricts artist and venue selection. Additional funding would allow Bruin Bash to move to Pauley Pavilion, which accommodates about 2,500 more students than previous venues. 

“This fee has never been updated to account for the consumer price index and inflation,” Campus Events Commissioner Daniel Leal said.

 The BLUE Fee Referendum would establish a new $27 quarterly fee split across three areas. The largest portion of $16 would sustain ASUCLA-operated student support services and spaces, including a $1 per hour wage increase for ASUCLA student employees. An additional $6 would support identity-based Student Media publications, including Pacific Ties, Ha’Am and Outwrite, and increase funding for collaborative programs between ASUCLA Student Union Programs and registered campus organizations. The last $5 would create an Undergraduate Catering Event Fund.

George Garzouzi, a fourth-year political science transfer student and undergraduate representative on the ASUCLA board of directors, said the BLUE fee would support key student spaces on campus.

“This is to increase stability, preserving long-term sustainability of core student spaces and facilities,” Garzouzi said.

Proposed Referendum Fees

The three referendums would add a total of $87 to a student’s quarterly fees, with the Student Success Referendum making up the majority at $55. 

Across all 33,040 undergraduate students, the three referendums would collectively sum to $2,874,480 per quarter. In an academic year, the total amount collected would add up to $8,623,440, which would be enough to cover in-state tuition for 516 UCLA undergraduate students. 

In accordance with UC policy, 25% of fees collected from each referendum would be returned to UCLA Undergraduate Financial Aid.

If approved, the #StudentSuccess Fee would be the second-largest referendum fee on undergraduate students’ BruinBills, after only the Undergraduate Student Association Fee, which supports student government and community programs. The new BLUE fee, if passed, would be equal in amount to the existing Ackerman Student Union Fee, which funds construction loans for projects in ASUCLA-operated facilities. 

“The support students receive here does not end at graduation. It shapes futures,” Turner said. 

About the Data

The Stack analyzed fee amounts sourced from referendum documents and campus fee data from USAC’s campus fee breakdown.