Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


About the Campaign

Who are you?

We are students, parents, and concerned Californians working to ensure that every student can afford college. We think this is good for students and good for California's future.

We have infrastructure support from Greenlining Action, a multi-ethnic nonprofit public policy organization.

Is this your average ballot initiative campaign?

Not at all. We're student-led, volunteer driven, and we don't have $80 million. (Anyone want to loan us $80 million?)

For more on how this campaign is different, click here.

What will the law do?

In a nutshell, the law will freeze tuition for 5 years for resident undergraduate students in University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU). Thereafter, the law will prevent any future tuition increases from exceeding the inflation index.

The law will also raise new revenue specifically for the cost of educating UC and CSU students through a 1% tax on millionaires' income over $1 million.

The law sets up an accountability process requiring UC and CSU administrators to report to a citizens panel of students and parents how the new revenue is being spent.

Why do we need this law?

In both UC and CSU, tuition has nearly doubled in 6 years. There is no end in sight to the hikes. Students and families need this law so they only have to pay their fair share. California needs this law to protect the future of its economy.

How will the law help students and families?

More students will be able to afford college. Those considering applying to college will be less deterred by sticker shock. Current students will be freed up from heavy work loads with more time for studying, and we wont be paying wildly more between the time we start college and the time we graduate. Well graduate with less debt, enabling more of us to serve California's public interest and contribute to its economy following graduation.

How will this law impact the quality of our public university system?

It will enhance it.

A quality university is one that is affordable, accessible, and diverse. Quality will be enhanced when every student can afford to attend, and students are not bearing a disproportionate burden of the university's funding needs.

Moreover, the university will not experience any shortfall from the tuition freeze and limit, since new revenue is being raised.

How will this law impact taxpayers?

The law will raise the tax on income over one million dollars by one percent.

Is a small increase in the income tax on millionaires fair?

Next to students, this small tax on millionaires and billionaires would likely benefit the wealthy class the most, as they largely own the companies and the stock that will benefit from an educated workforce.

Will this law take away from other state-funded programs like health care and roads?

No. By raising new revenue, this law pays for itself.


Why haven't students had more power to stop drastic tuition increases?

Lots of us have tried for a long time. And we've had some success. We've lobbied, organized, marched, protested, prayed, and finished our homework too.

But because of political realities in California, we've had the odds stacked against us, and it seems like as much as we try, the tuition just keeps skyrocketing. We hope this campaign will change all that.

Are you students willing to pay your fair share?

Yes. We're really glad you asked.

It would be reasonable for us to demand a rollback of tuition. In the last 6 years, tuition increases have so outpaced inflation that they would take 14 years to catch up. We're only calling for a 5 year freeze, which still means paying a hefty sum in tuition. Thereafter, if inflation rises a bit, we agree that we should pay our fair share. But the tuition hikes of past years are much more than that. Thats what we're trying to stop.

How do you define victory?

The ultimate goal is to qualify and pass the initiative. We can also achieve lots of smaller victories along the way. They include:

  1. Energizing students across California to get involved in the democratic process
  2. Getting lots of students registered to vote
  3. Building enough student power to stop the open season on an affordable university
  4. Challenging California to restore its promise to its students
  5. Highlighting the importance of California's university system to our collective future


About the Issue

Why is this a very very very good idea for the state of California?

With more of us able to afford college, the state of California as a whole will reap the most benefits. The health of California's economy and its democracy depend upon an educated workforce and engaged citizenry.

According to studies by the Campaign for College Opportunity, for every new dollar invested by California in college students, the state receives a net return of three dollars. California currently needs 3.2 million new college-educated workers-nurses, teachers, engineers and others-to keep our competitive edge.

For further reading on this fact, here are three great reports:

Campaign for College Opportunity: Return on Investment click here to read more....

Campaign for College Opportunity: Keeping California's Edge click here to read more....

Public Policy Institute of California: CA 2025 click here to read more....

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Higher Education click here to read more....

Isn't California's public university system is a great deal in comparison with comparable public institutions in other states?

No. A year's tuition may, for the moment, be less than at some comparable public institutions in other states. But at current rates, California's tuition will quickly surpass these. California also has a poor record for time to degree, meaning that the extended time to graduate (frequently five years) makes California's public university even more expensive.

Studies now show that the overall cost of education, including tuition, cost of housing, textbooks, and other necessities, makes the UC system more expensive than any peer institutions in any other state.

Is the affordability crisis just about tuition?

While tuition is a major factor for many students, it is indeed complicated by other issues.

Textbook companies, student loan companies, credit card companies, housing companies, and other industries have all taken advantage of students lack of power.

Still, tuition is something that our leaders and we can directly control. The new student power generated by this campaign will help us take on all these other issues.

Is tuition just an issue for the poorest students?

No. Of course this issue impacts the lowest-income among us. But it also is largely a middle-class issue. More and more students in middle-class, and those of us who want to enter the middle class, are being squeezed by the gap between skyrocketing tuition and diminishing financial aid.

On the flip side, if you target tuition, won't this really help wealthier students, since poor students already receive financial aid?

No. Every student is impacted by unpredictable fee increases, and every student could benefit from tuition relief. Middle class students and families are most squeezed by the gap between tuition hikes and diminishing financial aid.

While some argue for a high tuition, high aid model that raises additional revenue to aid the poorest students, this model is not working well in California. There is no guarantee that every low-income student receives the financial aid for which she or he is eligible. The financial aid process is very confusing, especially for those who are the first in their families to consider college; many face the sticker shock of high fees and are deterred from even applying to college. Also, financial aid is not sufficient to cover many of the lowest-income students, and less and less fee revenue is being applied to financial aid.

Since students will be the primary beneficiaries of their education, shouldn't they shoulder the economic burden?

All of society benefits from an educated workforce. History shows that California thrived economically when tuition was minimal. There is a strong correlation between the declining quality of life we are now experiencing and the prohibitive tuition costs with which our students are now burdened. Under our proposed law, students will be paying their fair share. But they will not be burdened will the unfair and erratic fee hikes that have characterized recent years.

Sure, many students have to work to fund their education. But isn't it true that hard work builds character?

Yes, of course. But there is a threshold when the amount of work can diminish the academic experience. Many students work two or three jobs while attending school and still emerge tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Overwhelming student debt upon graduation also impacts career choices, often preventing graduates from entering lower paid public and social service professions.