UC approves nearly 10% tuition hike for out-of-state students

BERKELEY, Calif. - Tuition for most University of California students will be more expensive next year, with out-of-state students paying the highest costs.

That decision was finalized by the Board of Regents on Thursday.

Out-of-state students, who make up about 16% of the student body, will see a nearly 10% tuition hike, which means they'll be paying $37,000 in base tuition next year. 

That's about $3,400 more a year. 

Starting in the fall, new incoming California resident students will also pay more: nearly $15,000 in base tuition in 2025 – a $500 increase compared to this year.

Current students won't be affected.

Still, UC Berkeley student Lauren Francisco on Friday said she thinks "it's pretty unfair."

Jocelyn Liu, a Cal freshman, said that she thinks it depends on a student's income. 

"It's not fair to people with lower incomes who want to get into Berkeley," she said.

Bjorn Williams said he wouldn't want to be an out-of-state student "because it would cost me more money." 

The UC system is expecting a $500 million budget gap next year, and charging higher tuition to out-of-state students is one way to close the deficit.

UC first-year student Elaina Sadler expressed concern that the increase might deter out-of-state students from applying. 

"They [UC Administrators] need to adjust how they’re spending their money, rather than squeezing people simply trying to get an education," she said.

Despite the increase, UC officials noted that out-of-state tuition remains lower than at many public universities in other states. For example, out-of-state students at schools in Michigan and Virginia pay about $11,000 more annually than students at UC schools.

At the Regents meeting, some student representatives opposed the tuition hike.

But other voting members of the board approved it, noting that even with the price increase, the UC system still charges less for out-of-state residents than other public univerisities in Michigan or Virginia, for example.

The cost for out-of-state students at those schools is about $11,000 more than what the UC system charges.