Poll shows concerns for costs, quality at public universities
Californians are concerned about the cost of higher education but that does not mean a landslide of support for Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to freeze tuition at UC and Cal State for four years.
That’s among the findings of the new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll about higher education.
Released on Thursday, the poll of 1,500 registered California voters showed that 56% believe that tuition at public universities here are “not too affordable” or “not at all” affordable and 38% feel the fees are very or somewhat affordable.
However, Brown’s plan to withhold some funding if those schools do not freeze tuition for four years has the support of 45% of the poll respondents while 42% oppose it. The proposal will make college more affordable for middle-class families, according to one of the arguments presented in the survey. The counterpoint contended that such a freeze will lower the quality of education and cause a huge surge in costs four years ahead.
The poll also showed that Californians want to maintain prestigious public universities. Asked to choose a priority between keeping tuition down or maintaining a high quality of education, 46% went for “quality” and 36% chose low tuition.
Other results showed strong support for expanding online classes and opposition to enrolling a lot more students from other states and countries to UC and Cal State.
ALSO:
Cost to fight Powerhouse fire estimated at $11.5 million
1,300-pound shark could be among record catches, official says
Science Center scheduled for vote on USC-Coliseum parking deal
Twitter: @larrygordonlat
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
