California Education Woes

In the Summer of 2008, I moved across the country to attend graduate school. At the time, UC Berkeley was the #1 Public University in the world. It was an offer I could not refuse-- a first-class education for one of the cheapest pricetags available. While the first attribute remains, the second is fleeting. Since the economic downturn (and before then according to some) a UC education has grown more expensive, semesters have shortened, and classes have become more restricted. Worse, there are fears that professors will leave the UC system amidst the turmoil, which would impact that first attractive element of UC Berkeley. NPR addresses the current budget woes of the UC system:

California Budget Woes Hurt University System

The segment addresses others' situations, which are far worse than mine. It brings the hardship of finding the money for college to light. At present, there are bonafide concerns about both the quality and affordability of a UC education, and there are ominous signs that UC Berkeley may be headed towards a more privatized model. Interestingly, the highly controversial President Yudof comments on these concerns.

In tonight's State of the Union, President Obama said that the best anti-poverty reform is a world-class education. The president also spoke to the growing insufficiency of a high school diploma is today's society. If we hold these tenets as true, then making college financially and pragmatically accessible should be held on high in any economic climate.