Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as 2 of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law authorizes these segments to charge students tuition and mandatory systemwide fees, among other charges, for attendance at these institutions. The existing Donahoe Higher Education Act requires that none of its provisions applies to the University of California except to the extent that the regents, by appropriate resolution, make that provision applicable.

This bill would add to the Donahoe Higher Education Act a provision requiring the trustees, and the regents if they act by appropriate resolution as referenced above, to determine the amounts of undergraduate tuition and mandatory systemwide fees for California residents in each incoming first-year class in their respective segments. The bill would require that the tuition and mandatory systemwide fees set for California residents in each incoming first-year class under the bill would not be increased, other than to make a cost-of-living adjustment not to exceed 2% after each academic year, until that class has completed at least 4 academic years. The bill would prohibit the trustees and the regents from increasing the amount of undergraduate tuition and mandatory systemwide fees for California residents charged to an incoming first-year class in their respective segments by more than 5% over the amounts charged to the immediately preceding first-year class.