JLV College CounselingUC freezes undergraduate tuition for Calif. students
University of California, Riverside
Undergraduate California students at University of California campuses will see no tuition hikes for the next two years. In a statement from the UC Office of the President released May 14, UC President Janet Napolitano announced an agreement was made with Governor Jerry Brown to provide “significant” new revenue. The increase in funding will allow the UC to keep resident undergraduate tuition at the current level of approximately $12,200 per year for the next two years.
The announcement comes months after the UC Board of Regents voted to increase tuition by up to five percent every year for the next five years. Before and after the November Board of Regents vote, UC students throughout California protested the tuition hikes. On many campuses, students took over administration buildings and conducted sit-ins demanding no tuition increases. In January, Governor Jerry Brown and Napolitano formed a two-person committee to study spending and revenue of the University of California.
The tuition cap for resident students was part of Governor Brown’s revised budget released May 14. Other items the revised budget promises to do is “pay down debt and [save] for a rainy day,” increase K-12 and community college funding, and help low-income Californians by establishing an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The budget also will expand the state’s efforts to combat climate change and respond to the drought.
The agreement between Governor Brown and Napolitano provides significant new revenue. There will be a four percent base budget increase every year for the next four years. There will be $436 million provided over three years to cover the UC’s pension obligations. In 2015-16, $25 million will be allocated for deferred maintenance and $25 million to support energy efficiency. Lastly, the regents can authorize an annual eight percent tuition increase for non-California residents.
The agreement also says the University of California will continue or expand their efforts to help California students. The UC will ensure at least one third of all new students are transfer students. In addition, they will eliminate “course bottlenecks” and improve academic advising. There will also be a pathway to a three-year undergraduate degree and they will continue to explore efficiency.
“Governor Brown and I were both focused on the future of California as we worked towards this agreement, which will enable the University of California to continue its role as the nation’s preeminent research university, Napolitano said. “Now the University of California will turn to our state legislators for their much-needed support of the proposed budget and for funding to enroll more California students.”
The terms of the agreement will be presented to the Board of Regents on May 21. California lawmakers now have until Jun. 15 to pass the budget bill.
Differences between the SAT and ACT
Are you trying to determine what college test you should take? Not sure if the SAT or ACT is better for you? Well, my friends over at College Raptor created a great infographic to show the current differences in the test.
Note: The SAT will be making some changes in 2016. However, for students taking the test in 2015, here is some information to determine what test might be best for you.
Click on the infographic below to go to the College Raptor page about the differences between the SAT and ACT.
Successful summer college visits
Sometimes summer is the only time students can visit college campuses. However, many experts will advise students against summer college visits because they will not get the full college visit experience. While it is true summer college visits will be different than visits during the bustling academic year, summer college visits can still be beneficial and well worth the trip.
There are some great advantages of summer college visits:
- No missed school. Doing well in high school is very important during the college admissions process. Therefore, students will not have to jeopardize their grades by missing school.
- Coincide with family vacation. If families are already planning a trip to the area, it can be convenient to visit colleges while in the area.
- The whole family can visit. Sometimes one or both parents cannot visit colleges when students visit during the academic year. Summer visits, if coinciding with family vacations, will allow parents to visit. In addition, siblings can visit too, giving them an opportunity to start thinking about college.
- Great weather. In many parts of the country, summer offers beautiful weather. Visitors probably will not have to deal with a lot of rain or snow like they might experience during the academic year.
- Plenty of parking. College campuses are notorious for not having enough parking. With much of the student population gone for the summer, prospective students will not have a problem finding a place for their car while visiting colleges.
- Smaller campus tour groups. Campus tours during the academic year can be quite big and impersonal, especially at more popular colleges. Summer tours are usually smaller, allowing students the opportunity to connect with admissions representatives and campus tour guides.
While there are some great advantages to summer college visits, there are also some disadvantages.
- Less students on campus. Colleges will feel very different with and without students. This means students will not get to feel the real campus atmosphere they would if on campus during the academic year. There will also be fewer opportunities to talk to current students during the summer.
- Less student activities. If specific extracurricular activities are important, students probably will not be able to experience them during the summer.
- Minimal class visit opportunities. Academics are the most important thing about attending college. While many colleges offer summer classes, they may not be as open to campus visitors as they are during the academic year.
- Less likely to be able to spend the night. One of the ways to truly experience life as a student is to spend the night in the residence hall. However, during the summer, residence halls at many colleges are closed to visitors.
- The weather will be great. The reason great weather can be a disadvantage is because students will not be able to experience the weather they would experience if they were a student during the academic year. Experiencing the weather they may live with at the college could be important, especially for students moving to areas with different climates.
Nevertheless, there are ways around most of the disadvantages, besides the weather. The key to great college visits during the summer is to work closely with the admissions or campus visit office at the institutions. If students can be flexible with their campus visit dates and start working with the college well in advance (at least two weeks), the college may still be able to offer everything a college visit during the academic year offers.
- Attend summer visit events. Some colleges offer summer visit events for prospective students. These events can fill up quickly, so students should sign up early. These types of events typically try to provide visitors the same type of experience students would receive during the academic year, including opportunities to meet current students and professors.
- Contact the admissions/visit office directly. When students give the colleges advance notice of the things they would like to see and do while on campus, many colleges will try to make everything possible. This can include sitting in on a class, talking to a professor, and talking to a coach. To ensure students are able to do everything they want, being flexible with dates may help the planners schedule everything the student wants.
The best time to visit colleges is when they are bursting with excitement during the academic year. However, if summer is the only option, students should still visit the colleges they are considering. With a little advanced planning, summer college visits can still give students a good look at a college and its community.
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Scholarship Saturday – May 9, 2015
The deadlines for the scholarships that were on this list have passed. To see scholarships that are still accepting applications, visit more recent Scholarship Saturday posts.
Colleges still accepting applications for fall 2015
Students who are still looking for a college to attend in the fall are in luck. The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) released their list of colleges still accepting applications for Fall 2015 on May 6, 2016. Over 250 colleges and universities throughout the United States still have openings for freshman and transfer students.
The list of colleges still accepting applications is diverse. There are public and private colleges with openings. Colleges with small, medium, and large student populations are still accepting applications. Large research institutions, liberal arts colleges, and religious colleges still have openings. Students still looking for an institution to attend this fall should be able to find colleges and university that meet their preferences.
There are 14 colleges and universities in California with space this fall. Bay Area colleges with space for freshman and transfer students are California College of the Arts, Mills College, and University of San Francisco. Concordia University, El Camino College, La Sierra University, Life Pacific College, Marymount California University, Otis College of Art and Design, University of Redlands, University of San Diego, University of the West, and William Jessup University also have space for freshman and transfer students. University of La Verne in Southern California still has space for transfer students. 
If students are looking for colleges in the Western United States, there are spaces available at many wonderful colleges. A few noteworthy institutions still accepting applications in the West include University of Arizona, Oregon Institute of Technology, Oregon State, Reed College, University of Oregon, Washington State, and Whitworth University. For students who want to go farther from home, there are openings in almost every state.
As colleges and universities fill their spaces, they will close their application. Therefore, students who are interested in applying to any of the colleges on the list should apply as soon as possible. Other colleges may join the list as they learn more about their incoming class and find that they still have space available. Students should continue checking the list for openings at colleges they are interested in attending.
Want to stay in the loop? Follow my blog to be notified when new articles are published. You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest for information on college admissions.
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