Dive Brief:
- The contentious battle between University of California President Janet Napolitano and Gov. Jerry Brown has ended in a two-year tuition freeze with the promise of additional funding for the university system.
- The New York Times reports the tuition freeze will not apply to out-of-state students, who could see 8% hikes over the next two years and a 5% hike the year after.
- The tuition deal would come with additional funding from the state's legislature, if approved, amounting to a 4% spending increase for each of the next four years and an additional $436 million to pay down pension obligations.
Dive Insight:
Napolitano originally called for a 5% tuition hike for each of the next five years, a proposal the University of California Board of Regents approved last fall. Brown, however, said his offer of additional funding for the UC system was contingent on tuition staying flat for in-state students. Napolitano argued the system needed stability and the long-range freedom of already-approved tuition hikes would help, but Brown ended up prevailing, at least for in-state students. The proposed increases for out-of-state college-goers likely will make those students even more desirable on California campuses searching for extra cash.