In mid-October 2025, student representatives from UC San Diego's Associated Students joined delegates from all ten UC campuses at the monthly University of California Student Association (UCSA) board meeting. The gathering brought together student leaders to discuss and advocate for systemwide policy priorities affecting more than 240,000 UC students.
The October meeting centered on several key federal policy areas that directly impact student welfare and access to higher education. Delegates focused discussions on CalFresh eligibility for college students, a critical basic needs program that provides up to $298 per month in grocery benefits to eligible students. UC San Diego maintains robust CalFresh support services through its Basic Needs Center, offering in-person drop-in hours and virtual appointments to help students navigate the application process.
Student safety emerged as another priority topic, reflecting broader concerns about campus security, mental health resources, and support systems for vulnerable student populations. The discussion aligned with UCSA's ongoing ACQUIRE campaign (A Campaign for Quality in Resources and Education), which advocates for holistic resources including safety from interpersonal violence, retention services, and mental health support.
Higher education funding remained a central concern, particularly as UC campuses navigate ongoing state budget challenges. The University faces significant financial pressures, with spending priorities exceeding available funding by hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
A significant portion of the meeting addressed the UC system's budget proposal for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The University's budget request emphasizes three core areas that directly affect student experiences:
Workforce Development:
The UC budget plan includes substantial investments in employee compensation and training programs to maintain high-quality instruction and research support. For 2025-26 alone, the University projects wage growth of approximately $51.2 million for represented employees, reflecting average salary increases of about 3.7 percent. These investments aim to retain talented faculty and staff essential to student success.
Basic Needs Funding:
Recognizing that rising costs of living and college expenses create significant stress for students, particularly low-income and economically vulnerable populations, the UC budget prioritizes expanded basic needs initiatives. All ten UC campuses now operate on-site basic needs centers providing food assistance, emergency housing support, and comprehensive services accessible to any UC student regardless of their home campus.
Textbook Affordability:
The budget request includes continued support for affordable academic resources, addressing the substantial financial burden textbooks place on students. This priority aligns with previous Associated Students resolutions, including UC San Diego A.S.'s 2018 "Support for Affordable Academic Resources."
The 2026-27 budget discussions come amid challenging fiscal circumstances. The state budget plan deferred UC's 2025-26 base increase of $241 million and nonresident replacement funding of $31 million until 2027-28. Meanwhile, UC's identified spending priorities exceed $500 million in new expenditures, forcing campuses to implement hiring freezes and reduce nonessential spending.
UC San Diego's delegation to the UCSA board meeting shared updates and photos from the gathering on social media, documenting their advocacy work on behalf of campus students. The delegates' participation ensures that UC San Diego student perspectives inform systemwide policy discussions and advocacy strategies.
UCSA maintains a continuous presence in Sacramento, assisting students with lobbying efforts and tracking legislation affecting higher education. The organization runs five permanent campaigns addressing ongoing student concerns: ACQUIRE, Racial Justice Now, Fund The UC, UCweVOTE, and SEED (Students Enacting Environmental Defense).
The October 2025 board meeting positions UCSA and its member campus delegations to advocate effectively for student needs during a critical budget cycle. As the UC system prepares its formal budget proposal to the California Department of Finance, student voices represented through UCSA will continue pressing for adequate funding to support access, affordability, and quality across all ten campuses.
For UC San Diego students, the work of A.S. delegates at UCSA meetings directly connects campus-level concerns to systemwide advocacy, ensuring local student needs receive attention in state and federal policy discussions. The focus on CalFresh eligibility, student safety, and sustainable funding reflects the everyday realities students face as they pursue their education.
