UC President Mark Yudof announced a four-year, $1 billion campaign to raise money for University of California scholarships and other financial aid during a pep rally Friday at Sunnyside High School.
Yudof told students that the fundraising campaign, called Project You Can, is one of two steps underway to ensure that family income is not an obstacle to attending a UC campus.
That assistance will come in handy for many because the cost of a UC education likely will climb even higher next year.
Yudof, who spoke in Sunnyside's performing arts theater, said the system's 10 campuses have committed to raising $1 billion collectively over the next four years.
In addition, Yudof said he will ask UC regents in November to expand the university's Blue and Gold Opportunity plan to include families with incomes below $70,000. The plan now covers fees for students whose family incomes are $60,000 and below.
The message was especially welcome at Sunnyside, where all but 20 families of the more than 3,000 students would meet the new income threshold.
"I'm here to tell you [that] you can attend UC. No one here needs a handout. Some of you need a hand up, and we're here to offer it to you," Yudof told the students.
Yudof said the fundraising efforts will ensure that UC is accessible for all qualifying students.
"If you are admitted, we will be there for you," he said.
In a meeting later Friday with The Bee's editorial board, Yudof said he will recommend that UC regents vote next month to raise student fees by 32% next year. The first portion of the increase would take effect in January.
Yudof said he was reluctant to propose the fee increases, which he said are necessary to maintain the university's quality of education in light of recent budget cuts. UC sliced its budget by 20% this school year and raised fees by 9.3% last May.
"It's imperfect, but it's the best solution we have under the circumstances," he said.
Yudof said dwindling funds have made it difficult to replace professors and caused UC to cut course offerings.
Raising the annual income cap to $70,000 for families to qualify for the Blue and Gold program was "what we could afford," Yudof said.
On the Sunnyside High stage with Yudof were students from the school's Doctors Academy, a program that encourages those from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to become doctors, nurses and other health-care workers.
Olivia Yang, a 17-year-old senior who is in the Doctors Academy, said Yudof's announcements were encouraging because the Valley has so many low-income families.
"Hearing this was inspiring," Olivia said.
Also on the stage was one of the academy's former students, Nathan Singh, 24, who graduated from Sunnyside High in 2004 and is in his second year at the University of California at San Francisco's School of Medicine. Singh said he was pleased that Yudof chose Sunnyside High to make his announcements.
"I think it really shows that the Valley is valued by the University of California," Singh said.
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