States Struggle with Tuition Hikes and Budget Cuts

Over the past few weeks, The Takeaway has reported about student loan debt and rising tuition costs.  President Obama recently unveiled a new program that he says will help lower the interest rates on student loans. But his strategy does not help students who graduated before 2012. As cash-strapped states continue to cut funding for public universities, tuition is likely to keep on rising.  How should public universities balance budget cuts and tuition hikes?   The University of California is ground zero for this debate. The UC schools raised tuition by 18 percent this year. Fees might go up as much as 16 percent per year through 2015.
Celeste Headlee is in Los Angeles this week. She spoke with  Albert Carnesale, chancellor emeritus and professor at UCLA, and Adam Swart, a junior at UCLA, where he is student government chief of staff.