Student debt and tuition to drop

By Carlos Velarde

April 3 California Democrats unveiled a plan to reduce student debt and make four year institutions more affordable. With this project students would be able to receive more financial aid when they transfer to any state university and finish school with less debt.

In a previous press conference on March 14, 2017 Sharon Kirk-Silva, who represents the 65th Assembly District said, “Students need money for school but also they still need money for housing and for food.” She added that there are many students that are even homeless and under a type of food bank program provided by their universities.

Kirk-Silva’s constituency includes the Orange County communities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton, Garden Grove and La Palma Stanton. For her the idea of providing enough financial aid to the students is crucial in order for them to accomplish their dreams.

Kirk-Silva said, “More and more students are having that conversation, if they can or should attend college.”

For Jose Santamaria, 34, a former computer science student at City College that is planning to transfer to a state system in Fall 2018 said that it’s a great plan for a lot of low income people who don’t have the means to apply to higher education institutions.

Santamaria added, “Applying for financial aid differs from one educational institution to another. When transferring financial aid in 2018 it could cover $20,000 at San Jose State University or $40,000 on SF State. Two cities with different costs and standards of living”.

 

According to Forbes contributor, Zack Friedman, his website “Make Lemonade” said,  “The average student loan debt per graduate in California is $22,191. Student loan debt per capita in California is $4,160 compared with the average student loan debt per capita in the U.S. of $4,920.”

Friedman also said, “California legislators have proposed over 30 bills this year to make college  affordable for Californians. This latest proposal comes after University of California

regents this January approved a 2.5% tuition increase and California State trustees are considering a 5% tuition increase.”