The University of California appreciates President Obama’s focus on higher education and his efforts to assure that college is within reach for all Americans. We are pleased that the president is looking at ways to reward institutions that are doing a good job graduating more low-income students. The University of California already has tuition that is highly redistributive: One third of every tuition dollar goes to financial aid, and more than half of our students pay no tuition.
We have a strong record of providing high-quality education to students from families from a broad range of income levels, and we look forward to working with the Obama administration and Congress on these proposals as they move forward. UC is proud of the robust state and institutional financial aid our enrolled students receive, and the university is continuously working to ensure that college costs remain low and affordable. Over the years, UC has cut costs and become significantly more efficient, while serving a historically high number of students. UC will continue to take actions to reduce costs and maintain its high quality, and will work with the state of California to ensure a strong commitment to funding public higher education.