UC System Should Prioritize California Applicants

Campuses of the University of California system, located in various regions of the state, typically dominate the college interest lists of most Campolindo seniors.  However, with favoritism given to out-of-state students, fewer of them may be accepted into the UC system.

With so many eligible and eager in-state students whose families fund the UC system through their tax dollars, I believe these schools should accept the most qualified candidates from California before considering any out-of-state applicants.

Unfortunately for Californians, they face increasing competition from out-of-state applicants who, while similarly accomplished, are distinctly more attractive to UC admissions officers because these non-Californians pay a much higher tuition fee.

It’s true that tuition received from out-of-state students helps fund the salaries of coveted professors and the construction of new campus resources. It is also true that out-of-state students add to the diversity on UC campuses. However, UC schools are public institutions, which means that they are funded by the taxes of all California citizens. Access to a college education paid for by California taxes should go, 1st and foremost, to California residents.

Recently, this has become a more pressing issue because UCs have attracted record-breaking numbers of applicants. According to The Los Angeles Times, The UC system received more than 171,000 freshman applications for fall 2017.

With the number of applicants rising, UCs are turning away many promising students. The 1st to be turned away, not surprisingly, are the lower tuition-paying in-state applicants. Instead of prioritizing students whose families have funded these schools with their tax dollars, the UC system favors students who will provide a new source of revenue.

When the UC system began, its students were almost entirely native Californians and those students did not pay any tuition, according to The Daily Californian. 

While it may be impractical to expect that the UC’s return to offering free education to California residents, it should at least prioritize their admission.

In the current system, Californians are naive to dream about attending a UC. With proper changes to admissions decisions, however, attending a UC can once again become a reality to those most deserving.