Number of 2015 UC Applicants Breaks Record Despite Tuition Increase

SARA HERNANDEZ
Staff Writer

In 2014, the Board of Regents of the UC system voted for a tuition increase over the next five years. Tuition will increase by five percentile from the 2013-2014 tuition cost of $12,804 for California residents and $36,828 for out-of-state and international students, according to Huffington Post. Students with families that earn over $175,000 will be affected by the tuition increase, which affects about half of of the students currently enrolled.

“[I feel] very bothered because the raise [of tuition] for education at the UC level is uncalled for,” senior Kristy Li said. “It’s just like when a brand is hyped out, you have to pay for its brand. You’re basically paying for the name.”

Despite the increase in tuition, the University of California (UC) campuses had a record number of applicants to their nine undergraduate campuses for the 2015 fall school year. According to Huffington Post, this is the eleventh year that the UC system has had an increase in applicants.

The fall applications included 46% of first generation college students. The pool of UC applicants also had the largest freshman amount of Latin ethnic background applicants and a drop in Asian and Caucasian background applications.

“I [intended] on applying to multiple UCs, but the tuition increase and other factors ultimately made me apply to a handful,” senior Calvin Wan said.