6 • NEWS
Monday, August 27, 2012
EDUCATION
Cal State thaws admission freeze for nonresidents Carla Rivera Los Angeles Times
The California State University system is embroiled in a controversy over plans to admit higher-paying out-of-state and international students to its undergraduate and graduate programs next spring while barring California residents because of state funding cuts. The issue has become so heated that department leaders on some campuses are saying that rather than turn away Californians, they will not accept any students into their programs. “I don’t want to come across as xenophobic,” Maria Nieto, a professor of biology at Cal State East Bay who coordinates her department’s graduate studies, said Thursday. “Diversity from the international community is always welcome. ... But you do not run a program in the Cal State system and exclude California residents from the application pool to bring in out-of-state folks. It’s not right.” Cal State announced earlier that it would freeze spring 2013 enrollment on most of its 23 campuses to address $750 million in funding cuts in the 2011-12 fiscal year and position itself for a $250 million cut next year if voters reject a November tax measure supported by Gov. Jerry Brown. Under the plan, 10 campuses will accept new students for the term, but enrollment would be limited to a few hundred community college transfer students and select other exceptions. Cal State’s campuses typically receive 70,000 applications in the spring, and 16,000 students enroll. But now campus leaders are reporting that Chancellor Charles B. Reed told them nonresident undergraduate and graduate students were exempt from the freeze because they pay higher fees; California residents are subsidized by the state. Palomar students said recently they feel the move is unfair. “It looks like the university is interested in income rather than education,” said Christopher Villalpando, a computer engineering major.
UC Davis students students occupy an administration building on campus. University students throughout the state were protesting rising tuition costs • Paul Kitagaki Jr./MCTCampus
Added biology major Jordan Ramrotch: “I think it’s ridiculous. I moved from Pennsylvania and it was hard enough getting residency here. You should get the benefits of going
to school in California.” California graduate students, for example, will pay $7,356 for the 2012-13 academic year, while nonresidents will pay an additional $372 per semester unit _ or about $4,464 for 12 units _ in addition to regular tuition. “We need to make appropriate enrollment cuts and that, unfortunately, has to be California residents,” Cal State spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp said Thursday. “If a campus has a program with the capacity to bring in students who are not subsidized and who are paying for the entirety of instruction, they could ... bring in additional revenue that could go to benefit state residents.” Most of that capacity is at the graduate level, Uhlenkamp said. He said he was unsure which campuses planned to accept nonresidents and could not estimate the number of students who would be involved. Systemwide, slightly more than 300 nonresident students enrolled in the spring 2011 term, he said. The typical spring enrollment in Cal State East Bay’s graduate biology program is eight to 12 students, most of them California residents, Nieto said. But the policy, she said, sets a bad precedent. “If the rationale is that you’re getting surplus money from nonresident students, then what’s to preclude the administration from expanding that to the fall and winter and summer terms?” David Allison, president of the Cal State Student Association, agreed. “I do buy the fact that because of budget cuts, a lot of tough decisions have to be made,” said Allison, 22, a senior at Cal State San Bernardino. “But all organizations have a mission statement and, in tough times, that’s what that the mission statement is for. “The mission of Cal State is accessibility and affordability. ... I find it troubling that students who are not California residents are being given priority.” The Telescope Staff Writers Hannah Villaruel and Hayley Elwood contributed to this report.
SHOPPING
End-of-summer bargains dovetail with back-to-school sales Lauren Davidson
disappears, Shelton said. Summer apparel: Look for clearance and coupons, especially from Old Navy, Nautica, French Connection, Dickies and Converse, which had their best sales last August. Also jump on any remaining swimwear you find, as most retailers will be aggressive about moving it. Running shoes might especially go on sale, Shelton said. Also look for: Fitness equipment or accessories, gym memberships, Caribbean cruises, grills.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Back-to-school sales rule in August, but you’ll also see summer clearance on clothing and outdoor gear.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Clothing, supplies: When it comes to saving money, bundling is your best bet. Groupon, for example, has already begun to offer backpack deals and supply bundles. And some online retailers will run sales you can combine with an extra coupon code and free shipping. “We see this a lot with clothing, especially the brands the kids like,” said Brent Shelton, a spokesman with consumer site FatWallet.com. Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostale offered their best discounts of the year last August. Laptops and more: Retailers like Amazon, Microsoft and Sony will probably offer laptop bundles in August, when higherend models might be paired with an Xbox, PlayStation or gift card, says Lindsay Sakraida, features editor at DealNews.com. “Amazon sometimes will even offer both a console and a gift card,” she said. “For some of the lower-end computers, you can still get something bundled with it, maybe a printer, which isn’t as exciting, but is very useful.” For Palomar students said dur-
BUT WAIT ON THESE
Best Buy customer Tim Perkins checks out the new Kindle Fire tablet on Nov. 21, 2011. • Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times/MCT
ing the first day of class that they don’t have the time to look search for bargains. “I just go to the mall, look for sales and hope I get lucky,” said Palomar Student Zach Beissel, a 19-year-old biology major. While 22-year-old Briana Rodriguez, a Palomar student majoring in nursing, said she favors drug stores for school supplies and never procrastinates. “I don’t last minute shop,” she said. “If you do then there are no
supplies left.” For bigger items, Apple is offering a special for students through Sept. 21: 5 to 8 percent off depending on which Mac you choose, plus a $100 gift card. “Last year’s model of the Macbook Air is the best in terms of discount _ still very new technology,” Sakraida said. Dorm furniture: There’s one standout when it comes to pricing on college furniture. “Almost across the board, WalMart the past two years has of-
fered the lowest prices on things like futons (and) compact computer desks,” Sakraida said. “You really can outfit an entire first apartment for your college student for pretty cheap.”
OTHER BEST BUYS
Outdoor gear: The summer air lures folks outdoors for golf, cycling, camping and fishing, and retailers will begin running sales to shove related inventory out the door before the warm weather
Patio furniture: Deeper discounts are coming this fall. Kindle Fire: Rumors about the new model abound, which means you can either wait for the latest technology to come out or for the current version’s price ($199) to decrease. “We’re predicting that the original could drop to as low as $169,” Sakriada said. iPhones, accessories: The iPhone 5 is expected to debut this fall, and many are anticipating a different dock connector. If you’re considering an upgrade, hold off on buying any more accessories _ they might not fit the 5. If you’re looking for an older model, wait for the release of the iPhone 5 to drive down prices. Telescope Staff Writers Anna Maria Petrov and Emily Yelsits contributed to this report.