Spring 2011
Committee:
Governmental Relations
Whereas, California community college students access and success in higher education is inextricably linked to California’s economic recovery;
Whereas, A 2% increase in the share of population with an associate’s degree, combined with a 1% increase in the share with a bachelor’s degree, results in $20 billion in additional economic input, $1.2 billion more in state and local tax revenues annually, and 174,000 new jobs; and
Whereas, The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there is a shortage in the nation’s labor force of workers with up to two years of post-secondary education; and
Whereas, The Stop-Gap Protection for Higher Education Resolution passed by a narrow majority of two votes at the last General Assembly and was ultimately found to be an incomplete deterrent for future tuition fee increases and, California Proposition 98 (1988) guarantees a minimum level of funding for K-14 education;
Resolved, That the Stop-Gap Protection for Higher Education Resolution of 2010 be repealed and replaced with the following language;
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges adopt a position that any future tuition fee increases levied against California Community College students should not be counted towards the minimum funding level for higher education guaranteed under California Proposition 98 for the purpose of eliminating the legislatures fiscal incentive for raising tuition fees; and
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for a law that would disincentives future tuition fee increases by denying the legislature the ability to divest in higher education by raising fees, thus balancing the budget on the backs of students, by disallowing tuition fees counting towards the minimum funding under levels guaranteed under California Proposition 98.
Whereas, A 2% increase in the share of population with an associate’s degree, combined with a 1% increase in the share with a bachelor’s degree, results in $20 billion in additional economic input, $1.2 billion more in state and local tax revenues annually, and 174,000 new jobs; and
Whereas, The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there is a shortage in the nation’s labor force of workers with up to two years of post-secondary education; and
Whereas, The Stop-Gap Protection for Higher Education Resolution passed by a narrow majority of two votes at the last General Assembly and was ultimately found to be an incomplete deterrent for future tuition fee increases and, California Proposition 98 (1988) guarantees a minimum level of funding for K-14 education;
Resolved, That the Stop-Gap Protection for Higher Education Resolution of 2010 be repealed and replaced with the following language;
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges adopt a position that any future tuition fee increases levied against California Community College students should not be counted towards the minimum funding level for higher education guaranteed under California Proposition 98 for the purpose of eliminating the legislatures fiscal incentive for raising tuition fees; and
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for a law that would disincentives future tuition fee increases by denying the legislature the ability to divest in higher education by raising fees, thus balancing the budget on the backs of students, by disallowing tuition fees counting towards the minimum funding under levels guaranteed under California Proposition 98.