“college Affordability And The Role Of State Funding”

“college Affordability And The Role Of State Funding” – California has traditionally kept college affordable with a combination of low tuition—especially at its community colleges—and generous financial aid. However, past recessions prompted cuts in state funding to the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU), and tuition tripled between 1995-96 and 2011-12. Since then, state funding has increased, and tuition at public institutions has remained relatively stable. However, in an era of limited resources, income volatility and increasing economic inequality, a resilient, effective and efficient financial aid system is increasingly important.

The cost of attending college in California remains a significant barrier to educational attainment for many Californians. About eight in ten Californians surveyed by (2018) believe college affordability is a problem, and 61 percent believe there is not enough government support for scholarships and grants. In a recent survey by the California Student Aid Commission, 64 percent of student respondents identified the cost of college or managing school and work commitments as the biggest obstacles to success (California Student Aid Commission 2019a). Among California high school graduates, those from low-income families are only about half as likely to enroll in a four-year college as their higher-income peers (Johnson and Cuellar Mejia 2020b).

“college Affordability And The Role Of State Funding”

Tuition, the most well-known cost of college, varies greatly among institutions. While private colleges mostly rely on tuition to cover their operating costs, public universities cover the cost of a student’s education with a combination of tuition and funds from the state budget. Until the late 1990s, state funding for public higher education covered most of this cost. However, state funding for the University of California and California State University was cut by a third during a series of severe recessions; as a result, tuition fees tripled between 1995-96 and 2011-12.

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Over the past decade, tuition at public universities and colleges has held steady, but other costs associated with going to college — especially housing — have risen. In fact, for the majority of students attending public postsecondary institutions in California, the combined costs of housing, fees, books, and transportation are greater than tuition. This is especially true for those enrolled in community college (Figure 1).

Affordability appears to be a significant factor in whether and where students choose to go to college. In 2017-18, California high school seniors with incomes low enough to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch were less likely to attend college in California (57%) compared to their peers (75%). Nearly two-thirds of low-income students who enrolled in postsecondary education started at a community college, compared to about half of their peers.

Financial needs vary not only between types of colleges, but also within colleges. One way to measure financial need is by examining Pell grants, which are awarded to students with exceptional financial need. Grant recipients make up less than half of students (45%) at CSU and UC, but there are some significant racial/ethnic disparities: More than half of black and Latino students at UC and CSU receive Pell Grants, compared to less than a third of white students (Figure 2).

Making college accessible to more students could potentially increase access and lower barriers to completion, which could help close the projected graduation gap by 2030 while promoting more equitable access and success. at the college. Deciding how to distribute financial aid, how much to provide, and how best to ensure that these investments lead to better student outcomes involves balancing competing priorities and making the most of limited resources.

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California has a long history of making college affordable. In the past, its public colleges and universities charged little or no tuition. More recently, the state has combined higher tuition with more financial aid to cover tuition for students who need financial aid the most. After tuition skyrocketed during the Great Recession, policymakers made incremental, targeted investments to address rising college costs, focusing on students with the greatest financial need.

California’s robust student aid program, along with federal and institutional grants, ensures that the majority of California public college students do not pay tuition. As the total cost of college—including housing, books and food—continues to rise, the state faces the challenge of determining the best way to ensure equitable access to public colleges and universities while preventing massive student debt.

Traditionally, state financial aid programs subsidize tuition at public four-year colleges to ensure that all students in California have the opportunity to pursue higher education. This strategy keeps tuition relatively affordable.

US citizens and eligible non-citizens can apply for federal and state financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Undocumented California residents who meet the nonresident exemption requirements can apply for state aid through the California Dream Act application.

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Federal programs. A Pell Grant provides a maximum of $6,500 per year for six years to students with the greatest financial need. Students can use Pell Grants to help pay for any tuition, housing or other college expenses. The federal government also provides non-grant assistance in the form of subsidized loans, loan forgiveness and work-study programs.

State programs. California provides most grant aid to students through Cal Grants: The 2021-2022 state budget removed age and enrollment requirements for community college students, allowing an additional 99,000 to receive Cal Grants in 2021-2022. Next year, these requirements will be removed for both UC and CSU students; this is likely to increase eligibility in those systems by about 40,000 students.

The state also provides assistance through the Middle Class Scholarship Program. Students whose families have income and assets up to $191,000 are eligible for a grant of between 10 percent and 40 percent of mandatory system-wide tuition and fees at UC or CSU campuses. Beginning in 2022-2023, grant recipients will be eligible for middle class scholarship grants, potentially providing additional funding for non-tuition costs.

Institutional aid. UC’s Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan ensures that students whose family incomes are below $80,000 do not pay tuition by covering the tuition owed after federal, state and local aid is calculated. CSU has a similar program, called the State University Grant. It covers tuition, less federal and state grant aid, for students from families with incomes below $67,600. Nonprofit private colleges also provide varying amounts of institutional aid.

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Not all students have access to the financial aid available to them. To receive Cal Grants, prospective (and current) students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). However, only 54 percent of the state’s high school graduates applied for aid in 2019, while about two-thirds of graduates enrolled in higher education. Researchers estimate that up to 20 percent of community college students who would qualify for federal grants do not apply (Wheelhouse 2018). Application rates vary widely across the state: In Waterford School District near Modesto, just over 20 percent of seniors applied, while in Los Angeles Unified, California’s largest, more than 80 percent of seniors applied.

Given total grant aid, total college costs differ significantly across family income levels (Figure 3). For example, a CSU student from a family earning more than $110,000 a year pays, on average, more than $21,000 a year, while a CSU student whose family earns less than $30,000 pays $6,300. However, the proportional costs of college are quite high for low-income students: the net cost can be a quarter to a third of a low-income family’s total income.

Estimating the total cost of college can be difficult, as many students take longer than four years to earn a degree. For example, one in four UC students who earn a bachelor’s degree and about half of CSU graduates take longer than four years to earn their degrees. Many students attend full-time but do not enroll in enough units to graduate on time, perhaps to allow more time for work or study (Jackson 2020). Many factors—including degree requirements or changing majors—can also lead students to accumulate more units than the minimum required for graduation, leading to longer time and more costs for students (Jackson and Cook 2016).

Although starting a community college can be a cost-effective way to earn a degree, fewer than one in five potential transfers do so within two years (Johnson and Cuellar Mejia 2020a). Transfer students are just as likely to earn a degree as their peers starting at four-year schools, but one-third of transfers graduating from UC and half of transfers graduating from CSU take more than two years to earn degrees.

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Delayed entry into the workforce is perhaps the biggest cost of extra time in college, as the average earnings for graduates of California’s public universities is about $40,000 a year. However, students also face significant costs for additional years of tuition and living expenses. Students may have to cover those costs without aid, as they may lose Cal Grant eligibility if they take longer than four years to graduate, and may lose Pell Grant eligibility after six years. These additional costs combined with the deferred income may

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