Reapproval of UC Tuition Stability Plan causes worry among students amid rising tuition costs 

Board members for the University of California re-approved the Tuition Stability Plan on Nov. 19, which has been in place since 2022, allowing the tuition for incoming students to be raised up to 5% each year. 

Following the tuition increase, there was an uproar with UC students who protested, firmly opposing the plan as they worried it would deepen student debt, with the critiquing still taking place. 

The University of California’s Tuition Stability Plan aims to provide financial predictability for undergraduate students, because the tuition for students will stay the same for up to six years of their undergraduate degree and ensures that the tuition of each incoming class can’t be raised for more than 5% than the previous year’s tuition.  

While predictability is helpful, the plan raises valid concerns, as the plan’s introduction in 2022 has resulted in a significant tuition increase percentage from the previous decade. 

According to a report from the Legislative Analysis Office on UC budget, between 2011- 12 and 2019-22, tuition changes were only increased at a small scale. 

Roughly, between those academic year tuition prices only rose less than 1% each year on average according to University of California Regents.

Starting in 2026, each incoming undergraduate student will continue to see an increase of their total tuition cost at a 5% cap to keep up with rising education costs and layoffs, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

The Los Angeles Times also brought attention to how recently Trump has put $230 million in federal research grants on hold and that there’s an uncertainty over the $17.5-billion in federal support UC receives each year.

For the 2026 fall semester, the increase rate for incoming students is up from 4.4% than the last year. 

These causes may also influence the UC’s decisions to keep the Tuition Stability Plan, which promotes higher increase rates in tuitions. 

Pallavy Noeun, an honors student and cultural affairs representative of the club The Honors Experience, who hopes to transfer to UCLA or UCI for civil engineering expressed her concern over the tuition increase. 

“I know UCs tends to be kind of expensive in the first place but I think for a lot of students it’s unfair in a way because their financial aid is bad too right now so they’re not getting enough to cover those tuition costs. Personally speaking I don’t think too much (tuition costs) should be put on the students anyway because when it comes to universities or academic institutions in general, a lot of their status and how well they’re known is because of how good students do. The university can offer a lot to the students but I feel like when the students come out of those universities they’re the ones giving the university that name,” said Noeun. 

UCLA transfer student and SAGE Scholars president Devonte Barner feels that the tuition spike is understandable. 

“I understand with the cost of everything and how everything’s been rising that it would affect us so I would say, realistically it’s just how society works right now. If we have to pay a little extra, we have to pay. … We have a government that’s a little crazy right now so everything is pretty much mixed around so stuff is going to go up in price… with everything going on they might need that extra push,” replied Barner. 

While current students are shielded from increases, the upcoming cohort of students starting with 2026 and 2027 undergraduates will face slightly higher tuition rates than previous students, based on inflation, campus improvements, and the uncertain financial outlook for UCs. 

The change, part of the UC system’s ongoing Tuition Stability Plan, will not impact current or returning students whose tuition remains locked under a cohort base model according to calmatters.org however this cohort model does not include graduate students. 

In the most recent renewal of the Tuition Stability Plane regents kept the 5% cap but also introduced a couple of changes to the return to aid rate according to The UCSD Guardian.  

Less of the tuition money will go toward financial aid in order to save on inflation in order for the money to be used in later years. 

LBCC Counselor and transfer coordinator Ruben Page brought attention to how UC’s are already perceived as unaffordable because of their high tuition costs. 

He worries that the increase in tuition will reinforce this idea and deter students from applying to UC’s, when in actuality he says that a student’s cost will depend on their personal situation and financial aid.  

“This is worrisome to me because … they are trying to save money and there is already a stigma that a UC education cannot be afforded so that’s already working against some of the UCs. Do I understand why the UCs have to do that? Yes because I know how state funding works and so forth but translating that for students through the news it all depends on what type of aid you’re getting. It could be just as affordable as other public institution tuition,” said Page. 

Page also adds that tuition shifts also reflect the current state’s fluctuating economic conditions forcing public universities to raise costs even while trying to remain accessible for students. 

“The tuition for the Cal states and the UCs are dependent on how the state of California is going and as we know it’s always up and down. …a lot of the breaks on tuition are not there so we have to raise prices again. … The state of the economy is in such flux right now.”

Charlene Dinh, front desk worker at LBCC’s transfer center, offers her prediction of what might happen to low income students at LBCC who want to transfer to UCs. 

“Any hike in tuition is a hindrance to any student, especially LBCC. I notice that we serve a lot of low income students…we’ll see fewer students apply to UCs. Not a lot of students know the difference between costs so the most popular schools that our students apply to are the Calstate system and the UC system … UC does cost more generally than Cal states but not a lot of students know that and so they just apply anywhere.” said Dinh. 

The updated Tuition Stability Plan will continue to guarantee a stable tuition rate for each entering group of undergraduates but that guarantee starts at a higher price each year.

This plan allows the UC system to make revenue for future costs, taking into account rising costs and the shift in state funding as long as they stay within the 5% cap.