Letter to the UC community from UC President James B. Milliken

Dear Colleagues,

Last week, I spoke to the Board of Regents about the serious financial pressures facing UC. I invite you to read my remarks to learn more about my thoughts on our current situation. We face a difficult road ahead, but we’ve prepared for this moment, and we can get through it with the ingenuity, resilience, and compassion for which this university is known.

Much of my career has been focused on efforts to bridge talent and opportunity, and an essential component of that is ensuring affordable access to college. Costs at universities — which are largely driven by salaries and benefits — are increasing. We have taken steps and will take more to hold the line on increases where we can. Notwithstanding these efforts, tuition increases are unfortunately a necessary component of sustaining and advancing opportunity and quality at UC and colleges and universities across the nation. A UC education continues to be an exceptional value, which is determined by both cost and quality. In UC’s case, value is possible because tuition has been kept relatively low while financial aid has increased. It is also possible because tuition and other funding provide the resources to ensure the quality of UC.

UC’s Tuition Stability Plan, which the Regents extended at their meeting last week, is one of the best plans I’ve seen to keep tuition increases moderate and predictable, while increasing financial aid. The plan allows for limited, inflation-based adjustments to student tuition and fees — keeping these expenses flat for each incoming student cohort for up to six years. Thus, most students will experience no tuition increases during their college career. No one likes tuition increases, but this plan has demonstrated that we can keep tuition increases moderate and predictable for students and their families, while helping ensure the quality of education that our students deserve.  

This is a challenging time for higher education, and managing it will not be easy. In the coming weeks, we will share more about how we will meet the challenges UC is facing. As we continue the essential work of providing opportunity, offering the highest quality education, supporting the best research and discovery, and serving the people of California, please know how grateful I am for the commitment and contributions you bring to UC.

Fiat Lux,

James B. Milliken
UC President