<p>Berkeley’s Pell Grant numbers are way higher than other colleges of the same calibre, and their loan numbers very reasonable for a public flagship. State support per student remains high despite the huge numbers of students but tuition income per student is one of the lowest in America. I don’t know enough about the writers various claims concerning loss of income due to capital projects but in a political environment where there’s pressure to lower taxes, the current Ca educational model is not sustainable. You can certainly look to make further cuts but increasing tuition income (privatization) is the way most other states have gone. Per capita income has zoomed in CA and most other states in the last 20 years or so, but there has not been the political will to tax it. The revenue available for higher ed has remained fairly flat and the tax rate around the national average, certainly not enough to sustain such a generous and popular higher ed system. Without massive cuts and restructuring and increased taxpayer support tuition is going to rise significantly.</p>
<p>That said, the university’s overly aggressive response to the demonstrators was disturbing, but was, no doubt, planned ahead of time. The “nip it in the bud” approach works well when numbers are relatively small. Had there been 10 thousand demonstrators that approach could well have backfired. I don’t think with the kind of students Berkeley is currently enrolling, there will be too many riots.</p>