Girls call for protest of UC tuition hikes

About 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon, as students swarmed the UC Santa Cruz administration building to protest the UC system’s proposed 32% tuition hike, a text sounded on Martina Dorff’s phone.

The Fountain Valley High School senior, who hopes to attend UCLA, got a message from one of her friends who was taking part in the Santa Cruz protest. Moments later, the friend forwarded Martina a series of articles about state budget cuts. Martina thought at first about writing an editorial for the school paper, but as she pored over her messages, she decided a standard complaint wouldn’t do.

That evening, she and fellow senior Mukta Mohan sent an e-mail to a number of Fountain Valley High teachers asking them to hold class discussions on the tuition hike. They also created a Facebook page for their movement and printed hundreds of fliers to distribute around campus. As students prepared to enjoy a week off for Thanksgiving, the girls urged their classmates to call and write letters to the UC Board of Regents to make their voices heard.

“Instead of an article, I made it more of a protest,” Martina, 17, said.

Across the Huntington Beach Union High School District, students and staff felt the brunt of the news that UC students would pay more than $10,000 in annual tuition for the first time next year. Counselors said they expected fewer students to apply for UC campuses and more to fill out Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms, better known as FAFSAs, which tell students how much financial aid they can expect to receive.

Fountain Valley High counselor Clint Walters said UC campuses were so popular with seniors that, in the past, he had often encouraged them to consider other choices. That may end up being the case in the coming months, he said, although more students would probably be applying to community colleges than private universities.

“The majority of the kids that want to go on to four-year colleges perceive the UC as the main university system to apply to,” Walters said. “In fact, I’ve probably spent a lot of time trying to open kids’ minds up to the other university systems, making them aware of all their options after high school.”

Edison High School counselor Sally Quay said some students had already come to her with concerns about tuition. She expected to hear more, though, as the school year progressed.

“I think the parents are probably digesting it right now, and in March or April, when they get the acceptance, it will be a reality,” said Quay, who estimated that 30% of Edison seniors go on to four-year universities. “I think they’ll really begin to wonder, ‘How are we going to pay for this now?’”

UC officials have said the tuition hike will not affect low-income students, since financial aid will still be available. However, Martina said, that was no consolation to students who had to pay.

“I know that it’s going to be really hard for me and Mukta,” she said. “We’re both middle-class, so it’s affected us the worst. I know that our chances are slimmer now, not just to get in, but to attend.”

Martina said Friday morning, several teachers accepted her invitation and led class discussions about the fee increases. When class resumes after Thanksgiving, she and Mukta plan to take their protest further, possibly picketing at a UC campus.

Mukta, 17, said if nothing else, she wanted to remind officials who their actions were impacting.

“If we can’t actually lower the 32%, we still want to show the UC Regents that we have a voice and we do care,” she said.