UC Regents Move Forward With Tuition Hike, Despite Protests

Introduction

The University of California approved a major expansion of its tuition model on November 19 when the UC Board of Regents voted 13 to 3 to renew the Tuition Stability Plan. The decision allows tuition and systemwide fees for incoming undergraduate students to rise by up to five percent annually beginning in Fall 2026. The vote came amid widespread student protests, intense debate among stakeholders, and mounting financial pressures across the UC system. Current undergraduates are unaffected, as the plan preserves the cohort structure introduced in 2022. These students will continue paying the tuition rate set upon entry, which remains locked for six years.

What the Regents Approved

The renewed Tuition Stability Plan includes three primary changes. The first maintains a five percent annual cap on tuition and fee increases but introduces a banking provision that allows the university to store inflation above that level for future use. Critics argue this could raise tuition more aggressively in later years even when inflation falls.

Second, the plan reduces the percentage of new tuition revenue allocated to financial aid from 45 percent to 40 percent. UC officials say this rate remains higher than the pre-2021 level and is necessary to support operations, but student leaders warn that it undermines affordability for low- and middle-income families.

Third, the university added a one percent surcharge above inflation dedicated to capital improvements. UC leaders say the funds will address deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs, though students argue the money would be better directed toward basic needs and retention programs.

Financial Rationale and UC Defense

UC leadership presented the plan as a necessary response to ongoing budget challenges. The system faces more than $130 million in state budget cuts, increased labor costs following union negotiations, rising inflation, and deficits tied to student housing expansion. Federal research funding remains uncertain, adding additional pressure on campus finances.

UC projections show that the revised plan will generate $273 million in new revenue in its first year. Under the new structure, 40 percent will support financial aid programs, and the remaining 60 percent will fund operations, capital improvements, and cost increases across campuses.

Regents argued that low-income students will remain protected. UC modeling shows that most students from families earning under $60,000 will have their tuition increases fully offset by grants and aid. More than half of California resident undergraduates are expected to receive enough aid to cover the increases entirely. UC officials insist this approach preserves access for those most vulnerable to cost hikes.

How the Plan Affects Students and Families

The financial impact varies significantly by income bracket. UC models indicate that low-income students could actually pay less overall due to increased aid tied to higher tuition. Middle-income students are expected to see modest changes, while higher-income students will absorb the full cost of the increases.

The university also approved a 9.9 percent rise in non-resident supplemental tuition, pushing the base for out-of-state and international students above $52,000 per year before housing and additional fees. This increase places a larger burden on the roughly 16 percent of UC’s undergraduate population who come from outside California.

Student Protests and Opposition

The decision triggered strong backlash across the UC system. Hundreds of students gathered at UCLA during the Regents meeting, where police and private security restricted access due to the size and intensity of the demonstrations. Students from multiple campuses held signs calling for affordable education and urging the Regents to stop shifting costs onto future undergraduates.

The UC Student Association, representing more than 236,000 undergraduates, opposed the plan. The organization urged the Regents to maintain the 45 percent return-to-aid model and argued that the one percent surcharge should be redirected to student support initiatives rather than capital projects. Student leaders warned that the changes could reduce enrollment among low-income and first-generation students.

Personal testimony added urgency. One UC San Diego student described how his younger sister had already reconsidered applying to UC due to anticipated costs, highlighting a growing fear that future families will be priced out of the system.

Historical Context and Long-Term Concerns

The Tuition Stability Plan was originally approved in 2021 as a five-year strategy intended to create predictability for families. It has now been renewed before reaching the end of its initial cycle. Critics argue that the yearly tuition increases contradict the plan’s stated promise of stability and threaten to push UC toward a more privatized model.

Students and faculty critics point to the compounding effect of annual increases, the reduction in financial aid commitments, and the persistent shift of costs from the state to families. These trends, they argue, weaken UC’s identity as a public institution designed to provide broad access to Californians regardless of income.

What Comes Next

The new tuition structure applies to all students entering in Fall 2026 and will extend for several years, with a required review set for 2027. UC leaders say the plan provides the stability and flexibility needed to maintain academic quality during a period of financial uncertainty.

Opponents remain unconvinced. They argue that without a broader recommitment to public funding, policies like the renewed Tuition Stability Plan will gradually reshape who can attend UC and what it means to be a public university in California.