A middle-class California resident might have to pay more at a state university than at many other private colleges in the country such as Yale and Princeton, according to the Contra Costa Times.
The rates of California State University and University of California institutions rose due to many budget cuts in recent years.
With financial aid, a middle-class freshman attending Harvard will pay $17,000 a year in tuition, books and on-campus housing combined. According to the Contra Costa Times, the total budget for UC Santa Cruz with all services could cost up to $33,000.
A student in CSU Sacramento will have to pay about $23,000 according to the college’s website. UC Davis also advertised that their total expenses reach $32,000.
“Honestly, education should be something that we really shouldn’t pay for but nothing is for free in this world,” said 21-year-old chemistry major Thomas O’Brien, who plans to transfer to Sac State. “In the end, I probably would go for financial aid, scholarships or just work full time.
Some students who plan to transfer from Cosumnes River College are not worried much due to how much their family earns.
“I don’t think I have to worry much since my mom basically pays for my classes,” 19-year-old liberal arts major Candace Reyes said.
With plans to go to a UC, Reyes said her mother earns around $100,000 a year. Reyes followed that she doesn’t want her mother to pay too much if the university is priced high.
Due to the constant cuts towards state universities, students are considering alternative solutions if the cuts continue after the November ballot initiative to increase taxes.
“I would really consider trying to find colleges out of the state if they are cheaper than what’s over here,” Reyes said.
Ceasar Moraaleman, 21-year-old English major, would even go as far as going out of country for colleges.
“If I can get an education, it doesn’t matter to me where I go to,” Moraaleman said.
If O’Brien’s plan to go to Sac State doesn’t work, he has other alternatives to further his education.
“If Sac State gets more expensive, I probably would not go there and probably just go stay in junior colleges, if prices drive me do so,” O’Brien said.