Illustration by Jamie Morton

With 40,000 undergraduate applicants for the upcoming fall quarter, UC Santa Cruz broke its own application records and saw a 17.2 percent increase in freshman applications. UCSC is now second only to UCLA in application figures.

The diversity of applicants to UCSC also rose sharply, with wide variances in socioeconomic background, ethnicity, and country of origin. African-American, Chicano and Asian-American applications rose 17 percent, 22.3 percent, and 15.6 percent, respectively.

“UCSC is committed to attracting, admitting and enrolling students who are truly reflective of the diversity of the state of California,” said UCSC director of admissions Michael McCawley in a Jan. 12 press release.

SUA chair Amanda Buchanan said this speaks to the efficacy of UCSC’s outreach programs.

“An applicant profile like this goes to show how important our Student-Initiated Outreach programs are,” Buchanan said. “Specifically, Destination Higher Education, Orale and A Step Forward did amazing work this past spring in bringing in students from African-American, Chicano and Asian-American communities to see what life is like on our campus.”

Buchanan has some reservations about the campus’s shaky financial situation and how it will affect these new students.

“As we present opportunities to our students, we need to make sure that the campus is prepared to offer any resources they may need,” Buchanan said. “This becomes increasingly difficult in times of budget reductions. We need to make it clear to campus administration that prioritizing the needs of students outside of academics is equally as important for retention and quality.”

The university needs to preserve institutions that serve students from varying backgrounds, she said.

“Our Ethnic Resource Centers need to be reinvested in to preserve the amazing work that they do,” she said.

Applications from Chicano and Latino students amounted to 29.6 percent of the total, bringing UCSC closer to being a Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS). To be considered a Hispanic Serving Institution, the university’s undergraduate population must be at least 25 percent Latino. This designation provides schools with grants and support services.

“It’s a source of revenue that would be very, very helpful,” said Patricia Zavella, professor of Latin American and Latino studies (LALS) and department chair, about the HIS distinction, in a 2011 interview.

Jonathan Fox, department chair of UCSC’s Latin American and Latino studies program, said these statistics demonstrate the success of campus admissions policy.

“In fall 2005, 75 percent of incoming frosh came from households where only English was spoken,” he said. “In fall 2011, only 54 percent of UCSC frosh came from households where only English was spoken. These changes were not driven by demographics alone. Our campus admissions policies take into account a wide range of indicators for understanding students’ achievement and potential.”

In addition, out-of-state and international student applications saw similar spikes, both in numbers and percentage. McCawley said UCSC’s recent recognition by Times Higher Education as a world-class research school is at least partially responsible for this jump.

“Recognitions like these speak to students around the world about the important role our faculty play on an international stage,” McCawley said in reference to UCSC’s current ranking as third-best worldwide in terms of research impact, behind only MIT and Princeton.

With all of these numbers in mind, one thing may be true: This fall, UCSC may begin to reflect the diversity of its home state even more.

“Our student body is looking more like California,” Fox said.

Michael McCawley, associate director of admissions at UCSC, said the money that comes in from out-of-state students can enhance academic advising or provide more sections. Photo by Nick Paris.

The University of California’s freshman class could look very different next year.

The UC increased the percentage of out-of-state student admission from 14 percent in 2010 to 18 percent for the freshman class of 2011. At UC Santa Cruz, admission was offered to 776 out-of-state students, up from 691 in 2010. Out-of-state students pay an additional $23,000 on top of in-state fees, bringing the average total cost of attendance for non-California residents to almost $55,000.

To mitigate the effects of funding cuts the state of California has made to the UC, the university has looked at alternative sources of revenue. The UC Commission on the Future — a group that discusses large-scale planning for the university system — recommended in November that the UC increase out-of-state enrollment for the additional revenue generated through higher student fees.

Non-California residents are ineligible for state-funded aid programs such as Cal Grants, and must rely instead on federal aid options like direct loans. Out-of-state students can apply for California residency after a year of attending a California university. However, the process requires them to jump many hurdles. For instance, they must demonstrate financial independence if they do not have a parent or legal guardian who is a California resident. This condition all but ensures they will continue to pay out-of-state fees to the UC.

Revenue brought in by out-of-state students who do not achieve California residency can help preserve the quality of a UC education, said Michael McCawley, associate director of admissions at UCSC.

“The money that comes in from out-of-state students can go to enhancing academic advising or providing more sections,” McCawley said.

Some are concerned that the increase in out-of-state student admissions could potentially displace California resident admissions.

“It’s good to get new perspectives, but it goes against the purpose of the UCs, which is to provide quality public education for California residents,” second-year literature major Everest Dillon-Hurley said.

The UC received a record high of 106,186 first-year applications for the fall of 2011. However, the percentage of California residents offered admission fell from 71.6 percent in 2010 to just below 70 percent for 2011.

“The UCs have moved so far from their original principles and purposes [that] they don’t resemble what they used to be,” Dillon-Hurley said.

Michelle Whittingham, associate vice chancellor of enrollment management and director of admissions at UCSC, said these concerns are not validated by UC admissions policies.

“We have a certain amount of students that are California residents that we accept and then another set number for out-of-state students,” Whittingham said.

The increase in admission offers is also a product of the space created by this year’s considerably large graduating class. Whittingham said that increasing the percentage of-out-of state students will not displace in-state students, saying that “the only thing that displaces state students are budget cuts.”

To offset the increased percentage of out-of-state students offered UC admission, the Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) program has been extended to guarantee UC admission to the top 9 percent of high school students in their graduating class who fulfill the 15 “a–g” course requirements and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Whittingham said there are benefits to increasing the number of out-of-state students, beyond the additional revenue they bring to the university.

“Geographical diversity is important,” Whittingham said. “We owe it to students to bring in students from different areas and backgrounds.”

DJ Bott is a first-year Porter College student from Florida who came to UCSC for the writing program. Her family has had to ask for extensions on tuition payments more than once, but Bott said the pressure motivates her to get the most from her college education and experience.

“The higher tuition puts a lot of stress on my parents and I, but it drives me to be more successful and to work harder,” Bott said.

It is unclear how the percentage of non-resident students will be affected in the long term by the increase in admissions offers. McCawley says it will depend on how many students — like Bott — choose to accept the financial burden.

“Only time will tell,” McCawley said. “Everyone will have to make their own judgment and decide if it’s worth it to pay the out-of-state tuition fees and make an educational investment.”

Ginny Sullivan, a second-year from New Mexico, is one of many students considering leaving the University of California to find a more affordable and higher quality education. Photo by Andrew Allio.

“I have a twin sister and everything always has to be fair,” Abe said. “When I compared my expenses here at UCSC to hers at Rutgers, it was double what she was paying. After [that], I knew I would come home.”

UC regents have made a goal of increasing out-of-state student enrollment to 10 percent of the total UC population. The $23,000 that these students bring to the university in annual fees is considered a way to mitigate the effects of state budget cuts. Campuses systemwide are scrambling to revamp recruitment of these high-paying students.

UCSC is focusing mainly on Internet resources such as CollegeWeekLive as a method of recruiting high achieving students from out of state, but have also adjusted more active programs. This year, the “Taking UCSC Home” program — which utilizes student volunteers to outreach at high schools in their hometown — has been extended to winter break in an effort to increase participation of out-of-state students.

Michelle Whittingham, associate vice chancellor of enrollment and director of admissions at UCSC, said high student fees and lack of financial aid puts the school at a disadvantage when recruiting out-of-state students.

“Since 2007, we have seen a decrease in non-resident enrollment, which is directly related to fee increases,” Whittingham said.

Whittingham said that UCSC has a lot to offer that is unique to the campus.

“The key for us [when recruiting] is that a lot of students are looking for that out-of-state experience. We want to make sure people are aware of the quality of education we offer here.”

At the same time that UC admissions offices step up their recruitment of students outside California, many non-residents are leaving the UC. Last year when Abe told her roommate — New Mexico resident Ginny Sullivan — that she was transferring, Sullivan tried to convince her to stay. Now, Sullivan too is applying to transfer out of California.

Sullivan, a second-year, was attracted to UCSC because she wanted the challenge of being far away from home and because of the prestige of the UC. While she has enjoyed her experience here at UCSC, Sullivan says she does not feel it represents a higher quality of education than she could receive at less expensive universities in other states. An only child of two working parents, she questions whether the UC education she receives is worth the $23,000 more she pays than California residents.

“I could go to another out-of-state school for in-state tuition through the western exchange program. Maybe my parents can scrape by and afford this,” Sullivan said. “But is that the right decision?”

Sullivan said that despite feeling like she is paying for more than she receives, her experience at UCSC has been mostly positive. For this reason, she has not made a firm decision about whether on not she will leave California after this year.

“I’m filling out the applications because I want the option to transfer,” Sullivan said. “I want to give this school a chance to win my heart this year. If at the end of the year I still feel the same underwhelming feeling about the quality of my education, I’m probably going to leave.”

Photo by Alex Zamora.

Ryan Mark-Griffin once planned on spending four years at UC Santa Cruz, where January days usually bring sun and temperate weather. But next January he will most likely be taking classes in the chilly Midwest, where winter temperatures average around 9 degrees Fahrenheit.

Recent fee increases added to already high out-of-state fees have compelled Mark-Griffin, originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., to apply to transfer to his home state’s University of Michigan, where he will pay less than half of what he does at UCSC if accepted for next fall.

“For every year that I go here, I could attend the University of Michigan twice,” said Mark-Griffin, a first-year student from Kresge College who plans to double major in environmental studies and politics.

The 32-percent fee increase passed in November added over $6,000 a year to total costs that already top $40,000 for out-of-state students.

“Beyond a doubt, I would like to stay here,” Mark-Griffin said.

Mark-Griffin was attracted to UCSC because of its unique academic programs, natural beauty and socially conscious environment.

“I felt like here, the students that are in the environmental studies program really care about social issues, which is more what I’m interested in,” he said.

Mark-Griffin has hardly been disappointed in his educational experience.

“The professors that I’ve had have been really great,” he said. He also noted diversity of course offerings and undergraduate research opportunities as reasons he loves UCSC.

Despite the inspiration Mark-Griffin has found at UCSC, mounting loans combined with his father’s unemployment have compelled him to leave California for a more affordable college degree.

“I got awarded work-study, but I was unable to find a work-study job, which is pretty common,” Mark-Griffin said.

Mark-Griffin is not optimistic about the quality of education he will receive at the University of Michigan.

“Everyone [there] gets a uniform education,” he said. “You have basically, like, four courses that you can choose. It’s nowhere near as flexible as here, which is one of the reasons I came here.”

Mark-Griffin will also miss the advantages of the smaller school environment available at UCSC.

“At the University of Michigan, there’s basically no chance to get in on research,” he said. “Ever.”

If accepted to the University of Michigan for next year, Mark-Griffin hopes at least to return to summer session classes at UCSC, for which there are no out-of-state tuition fees.

UC administrators have announced that they are considering increasing out-of-state student recruitment as a way to offset budget cuts. Mark-Griffin expressed doubts about this plan.

“I don’t think they’re really going to see an increase in the next few years — maybe 10 years from now, but not now,” he said. “I think they’re going to lose a lot of people. … It really does seem like we’re paying a lot more for a lot less.”