Thread by @CALmatters

💰👩🏿‍🎓👨🏼‍🎓 THREAD: How did college become so expensive in California?

@FeliciaMello addresses the question in her deep-dive on an issue that affects millions in our state — about a tenth of the $1.5 trillion in U.S. student loan debt is held by Californians. bit.ly/2QJEUWF

Presidential candidates running in 2020 have been debating the idea of “free college,” but the concept isn't a modern one—it's embedded in the University of California’s 1868 charter. bit.ly/2QFjN7V

When legislators implemented the 1960 Master Plan that would significantly shape the growth of California's higher education system, in-state students at UC were paying just $60 per semester. 😮 bit.ly/2QFjN7V

However, beginning in the late 1960s, California politicians pushed to increase the amount students contributed to their education.

Then-Gov. Ronald Reagan said the state should not “subsidize intellectual curiosity.” bit.ly/2QFjN7V

Undergraduate fees at UC grew at nearly five times the rate of inflation between 1977 and 2018. bit.ly/2QFjN7V

And California State University tuition has grown by about 900% in the last four decades, adjusted for inflation. bit.ly/2QFjN7V

Our state's housing crisis exacerbates everything. Many students are paying more for housing and other non-tuition expenses than the cost to attend school. bit.ly/2ZcW8yR

So what's going on?

First of all, the student population is more ethnically diverse than ever, so some of the assumptions policymakers have made in the past no longer apply.

Second, more than 1/3 of California students are over the age of 25. bit.ly/2ESfP77

High tuition and living costs have forced some students into positions where they face food insecurity and even homelessness. bit.ly/2WJl9UI

Just a couple of weeks ago, a bill that would require community colleges to keep parking lots open at night so homeless students can sleep in their cars was passed in the Assembly. bit.ly/2WpjyUE

And student loan debt among California residents is ballooning. The average student loan balance for Golden State borrowers is $37,428. bit.ly/2WpjyUE

Many students try to offset costs by working, and studies show this can also boost academic performance—but up to a point. Low-income students who need to work more to afford school often see their GPAs suffer, and it takes longer for them to graduate. bit.ly/2WR69Eo

Despite high costs, California is actually pretty generous with its financial aid. The state handed out $2 billion in grants and scholarships in 2018. bit.ly/2XpNiNJ

But there are limits on the number of Cal Grants, the state’s major scholarship program, that the state can award to students. bit.ly/2wBcyof

Here are some of the bills to watch this year in the California Legislature that seek to address the cost of college in the Golden State. bit.ly/2H92Huz

You also should check out "A Game of College," an interactive simulation that we built with the @hechingerreport. It shows just how difficult it can be to graduate college without taking on loads of debt. bit.ly/2I86lFx