College Costs Are Soaring

Earlier this month, the Trump administration proposed a five-year tuition freeze for universities, but that’s not the most comforting for students already facing record-high costs. At UC Berkeley, tuition is under $18,000 a year but housing, food, and other expenses push the actual price of attendance past $40,000. For many, the dream of a college degree now comes with years of debt, multiple part-time jobs, and copious amounts of stress just to make ends meet.

College shouldn’t be this expensive, especially not in a state as wealthy as California. The root of the problem goes deeper than tuition–decades of disinvestment in education and an unfair tax system that left students to bear the cost of what should be a public good. By reforming Proposition 13 and ensuring corporations pay their fair share, California can reinvest in its students, expand affordable housing, and make higher education an attainable goal again for all. Opportunity shouldn’t depend on your ability to pay rent nor come at a cost to be able to live.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

College is increasingly unaffordable in California. Tuition isn’t the main problem

By Jordan McGillis & Christopher Elmendorf | San Francisco Chronicle | Oct 14th 2025