<p>You guyz are being awfully snobby towards Merced. Merced is a UC campus just like any other UC, and in some years it will be ranked as highly as the rest. Whatever the reasons for the initial groundbreaking in Merced, California, there are now thousands of students attending the school, and it deserves more respect than many give it.</p>
<p>^^It's not a question of snobbery. It's a question of public policy. It's question of how the UC should best spend its shrinking resources. Should it pump millions into strengthening a weak, new UC that is in a poor location and was never needed, and in the process weaken other campuses that are already strong? Or should they cut their losses with Merced and divert the money to maintaining or expanding the strength of the other campuses?</p>
<p>Californians who say they need years to adjust to massive cuts is like the UAW saying they agreed to trim their expectations a couple years from now. The ship is sliding under the waves now.
Yet another example of people in this economy who became accustomed to living beyond their means.</p>
<p>I am not sure why you say that UC Merced is not needed. The mid-tier UCs take only about half the students who apply, and I think in a few years, Merced will be another mid-tier UC.</p>
<p>If the economy continues to be bad for a while, more students who might otherwise go to private schools will instead try for the state schools, and that will happen at all levels, not just UCLA and UCB.</p>
<p>I'm trying not to be biased here because i'm an OOS applying to UC's but...</p>
<p>I understand that cal residents should get priority but why admit 95% cal residents and have less money and lower the quality of education for all students attending, when you could admit 5% more OOS students and use that money to give all students a high quality education. In short, why lower everyone's education when you can admit a few more out of state students to solve the problem. Hold off the economic downturn for a few years until things rebound. </p>
<p>Cal residents should also realize that their university system is perhaps one of the best in the country and is naturally competitive.</p>
<p>that sucks, now my matches at davis, sb, and sd will become reaches. Really though, i see this as a ploy for UC to increase enrollment in not only merced, but santa cruz + riverside (lower tier)..</p>
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<blockquote> <p>I am not sure why you say that UC Merced is not needed. The mid-tier UCs take only about half the students who apply, and I think in a few years, Merced will be another mid-tier UC.<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Merced wasn't needed because the UC already had two campuses, Riverside and Santa Cruz, that were having trouble filling their freshman classes. For various reasons revolving around reputation in the case of SC, and both reputation and location in the case of Riverside, applicants often had to be assigned to those campuses against their will because the top and mid-tier capuses were full. Many who get assigned to those two schools choose to go elsewhere - to a Cal State or a private school.</p>
<p>Now with Merced they have added a third UC campus that can't attract students - again due to poor location and reputation. After decades of struggling to do so, Riverside and SC haven't been able to move out of the UC cellar and into the mid-tier. What makes anyone think Merced will fare any better?</p>
<p>Schwarzenegger proposes major Cal Grant cuts
California's main financial aid program for college students may stop covering rises in tuition. Meanwhile, UC and Cal State officials are gearing up for 10% fee increases.
By Gale Holland</p>
<p>January 13, 2009</p>
<p>Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing major cuts in Cal Grants, the state's main financial aid programfor college students. The most significant change would involve abandoning the state's commitment to cover any rise in tuition for grant recipients, and it comes as officials at both the University of California and California State University are gearing up for 10% fee increases in response to the yawning state budget gap.</p>
<p>The Legislature in 2000 guaranteed middle- and low-income students who meet certain financial and academic benchmarks nearly full offsets of their fees, which have escalated sharply in recent years. </p>
<p>Judy Heiman, an analyst with the state legislative analyst's office, said "decoupling" the fees and the grant funding might not cut too deeply the first year, but could quickly add up if fees continue to jump as they have in the last decade. "It will be 4-5% this year, then maybe 10% or even 20-30%," she said. "It could get to the point even students with full grants can't afford to pay fees."</p>
<p>The governor's $87.5 million in proposed reductions -- about 10% of the total $880-million Cal Grant budget -- also would eliminate an aid program that helps returning adult students and would slash the grant money available to state students attending private colleges and universities. Cal Grants and a fee waiver program are the state's primary financial aid vehicles. Other aid is provided by the federal government, colleges and universities.</p>
<p>A spokeswoman for the governor said he "understands how difficult these cuts will be" but is responsible for leading the state through the economic crisis. "The governor doesn't want to cut programs and he doesn't want to raise taxes, but in the face of a $42-billion budget deficit and with the Legislature's failure to pass a comprehensive solution, we're simply running out of options," she said.</p>
<p>noob:</p>
<p>While your suggestion is logical (and only a little self-serving), the short answer is that the University of California was established to educate California residents, period. </p>
<p>btw: did you apply to Merced? I can guarantee you would be accepted. :)</p>
<p>Also concur with coreur, with the exception that I think the med school at Riverside will move it up a notch, leaving Merced alone at the bottom of the UC pecking order; I know many SoCal kids at top, competitive high schools that will forego anything approaching an undergrad experience (turning down Cal and UCLA); accept a Regent's at Riverside, be an academic star in uncompetitive classes, and be off to med school four years hence.</p>