Letters to the Editor: Attending Cal State instead of UC is a privilege, not a disappointment

To the editor: I sympathize with high-achieving high school graduates such as Jonathan Cornejo who worry they cannot attend their “dream” University of California campus despite being admitted. However, I disagree with the implication that these students would be greatly lowering their standards by attending a California State University campus.

Since UCs tend to cater to students seeking advanced research degrees, it is often better for bachelor’s- or master’s-level students to attend a Cal State campus. Classes tend to be smaller and taught by professors rather than teaching assistants.

Also, there are 23 Cal State schools, so students can often live in cheaper or more convenient locations.

As someone with a UC degree who taught for many years at a Cal State school, I feel no need to apologize for our bachelor’s and master’s programs.

John Lane, Stanton

The writer is a professor emeritus of computer engineering and computer science at Cal State Long Beach.

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To the editor: When asked about the shortfall in financial aid that would keep Cornejo from attending his “dream school” of UC San Diego, his response was brutally honest: “You did all these things, tried your best. Then you look at the money aspect and see you can’t afford it.”

Cornejo cited his fear of taking on student loan debt as the primary reason for considering community college. How many other brilliant young minds is the UC system willing to lose because higher tuition means many people must now assume colossal amounts of debt to have a fair shot at the American dream?

The UC system was once tuition-free; in the late 1960s, then-Gov. Ronald Reagan changed that. Further, our state is beset with a level of unaffordability at every level, and we pay for this with extreme poverty, homelessness and outward migration.

Let’s fix the man-made unattainability of higher education before our bright young minds join the hundreds of thousands of Californians leaving for states where opportunity is actually an option.

Lisa Ansell, Beverly Hills

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To the editor: One message from your article is that attending community college is a disappointing necessity for many people. What it should be is that the tens of thousands of deserving California students in this situation in no way have to give up on their dream.

Community college is a very effective bridge to UC. Students can transfer well-prepared academically and having saved themselves and their families tens of thousands of dollars.

It’s tragic that students often don’t understand this and as a result make damaging financial decisions.

Scott Howell, Murrieta