<p>@nick_scheu: The thing is, it’s not an acceptable argument to say “Well, even with rising tuition costs, UCB is still cheaper than a private university, so middle class students should consider it a good option.” There’s a point where the price difference between UCs and private universities will become neglible if the UC system keeps on raising tuition fees. Students will go to privates if the difference between the UC and the private is perhaps <$5,000, because at a private university they can sometimes more personalized attention, smaller classroom sizes, and better quality of education. Also, there are some private universities that give generous financial aid to middle-class students, at a time when UCs are increasing tuition fees and still not giving financial aid to those same students. I know someone who got at least half their tuition covered by USC, but received no financial aid from the UCs. It would only make sense for middle-class students to go to the private university.</p>
<p>Also, when you say that in-state upper middle class students will still receive 75% coverage even with tuition hikes, I think that fact is misleading. Sure, they might get “covered” through unsubsidized ‘loans’ but that’s hardly coverage at all. You still have to pay those loans back after college plus interest. When I think coverage, I think of an actual grant or scholarship that covers your tuition, meaning you don’t have to pay for it, the state is.</p>
<p>Also, it seems that whenever there’s a debate about rising tuition costs, it seems international and out-of-state (OOS) students are the first ones to say “Well, look at how much WE have to pay for UC tuition, and we don’t receive any financial aid on top of it. In-state students should stop whining.” I find this argument to be ridiculous. Back when I was applying to college, I was considering applying to some state schools outside of CA. I realized that if I got into those OOS public universities I wouldn’t . I don’t know why out-of-staters who come to UCB would expect anything different.</p>