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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:

As a former high school teacher, I believe that a good education is the most valuable gift we can give to ourselves and our children.

California’s financial situation has many higher education advocates concerned about the future of college accessibility and affordability. Many other states are facing deficits and have turned to raising college tuition to help make up the difference.

And while no student or parent likes to see college costs increased, some perspective is in order.

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It is important to remember that the price of a college education in California is already far less than other states. In fact, California was the only state to receive a passing grade for college affordability in “Measuring Up 2008: the National Report Card on Higher Education,” released by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

Furthermore, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Education, the average family in the United States devotes 28% of its annual income to pay for one year of tuition, fees, room and board at a public four-year university.

While many would expect this figure to be higher in California due to the high cost of living, it is actually the same as the national average.

California comes in 24th on the list of all 50 states, which is led by Tennessee at 13%. On the other end of the affordability spectrum, Pennsylvania parents spend a whopping 41% of their annual income to send their kids to a four-year state university.

In fact, even if student fees were to increase across-the-board, the cost of attending a four-year university in California will still fall below the national average. For the 2008-09 academic year, the cost of in-state fees at four-year public colleges nationwide averaged $6,585. Students attending any one of 23 California State Universities paid an average of only $3,849.

Additionally, California community colleges are renowned for being the best educational bargain in the country.

Tax dollars subsidize the cost of educating some 2.5 million students, promoting greater access and keeping student costs low.

Instead of tuition, state residents pay enrollment fees of $20 per semester unit or $13 per quarter unit, the lowest in the country.

Even students who receive no financial aid pay only a few hundred dollars for a semester’s worth of classes. Compare this, for example, to students attending any of the Community College of Vermont’s 12 campuses, where residents pay the highest fees at $191 per credit.

Keeping California’s colleges and universities affordable remains a top priority for my Assembly Republican colleagues and me.

While difficult budget-related decisions lie ahead for California’s higher education institutions due to the state’s financial situation, California colleges and universities will continue to provide broad access to a first-rate education, at a bargain price.


ASSEMBLYMAN JIM SILVA represents the 67th District, which includes Huntington Beach.

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