Response to guest column: More funding for higher ed, not a new Master Plan

On May 6, 2021, CalMatters published this response from Dick Ackerman and Mel Levine, co-chairs of the California Coalition for Public Higher Education, to the guest column titled, “California needs a new Master Plan for Higher Education“:

California’s public higher education institutions do need more funding. But Nils Gilman’s financing plan would “rob Peter to pay Paul” by taking all state funding from the UC system to make up for inadequate state funding for the CSU and CCC systems.

His plan would require big UC tuition increases, which would limit access to just the wealthiest students and those students who would qualify for scholarships. At a time when California and the country are seeking to expand economic opportunities and address social inequities, we should vigorously support funding to increase, rather than limit, access to all our public colleges and universities. 

As California Coalition for Public Higher Education co-chairs, we believe that support for the University of California, California State University and California Community College systems is an investment in their promise of success for people from all walks of life and in a strong future for our state’s economy.