UC Santa Cruz’s: UC Tuition Hike Must Be A Joke!

Author: JOSE PARRA - UC Santa Cruz

As a UC Santa Cruz student freshman a part of The Student Union Affaires on campus I play a role in being a Racial Justice Now coordinator, I often hear the refrain:“Getting a UC degree is your ticket. Use your resources. Apply for scholarships. FAFSA will help you.”I hear every perspective—students stressed about financial burdens, friends overwhelmed by tuition -in state and out of state, underclassmen excited to attend their dream UC campus because of the views, the research, the prestige. But underneath all that excitement is fear.. Not as much fear of getting in, not fear of fitting in—fear of the price. The tuition hikes are pushing entire generations away before they even get a chance to step foot on campus. Students aren’t wondering if they can thrive here; they’re wondering if they’ll ever escape without drowning in horrendous, stupid debt.

And now, this month, the UC system is proving exactly why so many of us are exhausted and honestly FUCKEN fed up. While students across every campus are already juggling rent spikes, food insecurity, and working multiple jobs, the UC Board of Regents is preparing to review—and potentially approve—yet another tuition hike. This isn’t some distant policy conversation; it’s literally happening right now, and its impact will fall hardest on the students who aren’t even here yet to defend themselves.

In 2021, the UC introduced what they called the Cohort Tuition Model, promising “predictability” by locking each incoming class into a fixed tuition rate for up to six years, with a small annual increase of up to 5%. They also claimed nearly half of the new tuition money—45%—would go back to students as financial aid. It wasn’t perfect, but at least it gave families a sense of stability.

But now? The Regents are considering raising that annual increase cap from 5% to 7% and cutting the financial-aid return rate from 45% to 35%. That’s basically asking future students to pay more while

receiving less support. It’s a backwards, damaging shift that completely ignores the reality students are facing right here on the ground.

And what’s worse is that the UC Office of the President is trying to justify this by mentioning “budget shortfalls,” even though the state already reversed the cuts they’re blaming. Instead of demanding proper funding or managing their spending responsibly, the UC is choosing to push the financial burden onto students—onto us. Even their own reports say the current model works, so why are they trying to break it? At UC Santa Cruz, this issue hits even harder. Our campus already has some of the highest rates of housing and food insecurity in the entire UC system. Many of us are first-generation, low-income, and students of color — students already stretching every dollar just to stay enrolled. Raising tuition doesn’t just widen the gap; it makes higher education feel less like a public good and more like an exclusive club.

And the worst part? The students who will be most affected aren’t even present to speak on this issue. They have no say in decisions that will shape their futures. That’s why we, as current students, have to stand up now and speak on their behalf.

I feel the weight of the financial burden every day — not just on myself, but on my parents. And honestly, my situation isn’t even the hardest one. Undocumented students, low-income students, international students, and future college applicants will face the deepest impact of the UC tuition hike. Yet does the UC system seem to care? No. Instead of uplifting the communities that need support the most, they continue making decisions that push us further away from opportunities we’re already fighting to access.

This is exactly why I work to empower students to speak up and get involved — through strikes, voting, writing letters, publishing articles, joining student government, and organizing within our campus community. Change starts from within. It’s not enough to just have an opinion; we need to share it,

For high school seniors entering college, the challenges are already overwhelming: rising costs, unstable job markets, complicated financial aid, strict parental income limits, and constant pressure to find scholarships and grants. It’s ridiculous that students are being pushed to second-guess their education because of choices that make higher education even less accessible.

Decisions are being made without students, using student money, and we have no say. Funny, right? They won’t listen — but making them second-guess their decisions is the goal. Rallying together, creating chants, showing up — it gets the word out. It shows that we’re paying attention and we don’t approve. It’s always better to show up and show we care than to stay silent. This shouldn’t be normal. We’re not going to sit back and let it slide — because if we do, it only justifies their actions and makes it seem like we’re completely okay with what they’re doing.

I’m a freshman, I’m informed. It's upsetting and frustrating — and I’ll keep encouraging others to speak up. One conversation, one protest, one chant at a time goes a long way. Because while UC claims they act “for our students, with our students,” they can’t even do the bare minimum of posting a public comment QR code where students will see it. They stream live meetings on YouTube, but not on the UC Instagram or website. Interesting….. #FxckTuition — it’s not for the weak, and it’s definitely not for us., RIGHT HERE< RIGHT NOW<AS A UC COMMUNITY!! WE SAY NO TO TUITION..