UC takes tuition hike off the table for May regents meeting

“Raising tuition is always a last resort and one we take very seriously,” Napolitano said in a statement. “Depending on the outcome of the budget negotiations in Sacramento, the university may, at a later date, consider the issue of a modest tuition increase for the 2018-19 academic year.”

The UC Board of Regents was scheduled to consider a proposed increase of $342, or 2.7 percent, in annual tuition and fees for the 2018-19 academic year.

California residents currently pay $12,630 in tuition and fees annually.

The regents separately approved a 3.5 percent, or $978, tuition hike for out-of-state undergraduates in March, saying, however, that increase would be rescinded if more state funding is obtained. The increase puts tuition and fees for out-of-state undergraduates at nearly $42,000 next year, more than triple what California residents pay.

UC officials say Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed state budget allocates a fraction of what the university system needs to maintain its quality of education at a time of record-high enrollment.

Brown proposed a 3 percent increase in base funding for the UC system in his 2018-19 budget plan, which was less than anticipated under a plan with the governor, UC officials say. Brown has urged university officials to “live within their means.”

Napolitano said Thursday that the UC “appreciates the 3 percent increase” but its goal is to secure $140 million in additional state funds by the time the final budget is approved in June.

“Given the momentum of UC advocacy efforts, and a reported state budget surplus that is billions of dollars over projections, UC is hopeful that increased state funding will eliminate the need for a tuition increase,” Napolitano said.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom called the UC’s decision a “step in the right direction.” Newsom, who is on the Board of Regents, was a vocal critic of the UC’s initial plan to vote on a tuition increase before the Legislature wrapped up budget negotiations.

Earlier this month, California State University said it was abandoning a proposal to raise tuition at its 23 campuses for the 2018-19 school year. Cal State trustees had also been scheduled to discuss a proposed increase in May but Chancellor Timothy White said he was dropping the issue for at least a year in hopes of getting more state funding.