Editorial: “Let’s keep perspective in fight over out-of-state students”

The Sacramento Bee published an editorial, “Let’s keep perspective in fight over out-of-state students,” on March 30, 2016, in response to a report from the state auditor charging that the university is admitting too many out-of-state students, to the detriment of Californians.  Here’s an excerpt:

Those are disturbing charges, if true, though like most of the audit, the UC vehemently disputes them. Admissions criteria, they say, have been made more “holistic” for all students, and the extra revenue from out-of-state fees actually subsidizes Californians whom they couldn’t afford to let in otherwise.

Gipson and company are right to look out for Californians. Out-of-state students shouldn’t be getting in with subpar grades and test scores, and in-state students who worked hard enough to make the cut shouldn’t be left with no choice other than the newbie campus, UC Merced, although there are worse fates.

But nonresident enrollment isn’t a bad thing; meeting out-of-state students is one reason in-state students want to go to any college. And last year’s power struggle shouldn’t be reignited just because some lawmaker might need an issue to run on.

Californians have some real decisions to make about how and whether to preserve this state’s system of public higher education – a costly line item that is among California’s greatest achievements.