Survey: Californians Worry About College Expenses

SAN FRANCISCO — Most Californians are happy with the quality of higher education in the state but fear it’s too expensive to pay for their children to enroll, according to a study released by the Public Policy Institute of California.

The cost of college is the predominant concern for all parents who participated in the study. More than 70 percent of parents with children 18 years or younger say students borrow too much money to attend college. About the same number expressed anxiety over having enough money to afford college for their youngest child. Although they say students borrow too much to pay for college, 72 percent of parents think congress should make more money available for loans.

More than 80 percent say work-study programs should be expanded and scholarship money should increase, and 70 percent say a sliding scale for tuition and fees should be established.
Almost half of those surveyed say they do not have enough information about financial aid. Latinos and households with less than $40,000 of income were the most likely to say they needed to know more about financial aid.

The state’s financial crisis has also raised fears of college budget cuts, with 83 percent of participants reporting concerns that the shortfall will lead to significant cuts in higher education, according to the survey.

More than 50 percent say spending for public colleges and universities should be a high priority. However, 52 percent say they do not want to pay higher taxes and 62 percent would not want to raise student fees to cover costs.

Even though they may not want to pay more for it, higher education is “very or somewhat” important to the state’s future economic vitality for all survey participants, regardless of regional, political or demographic background.

The survey also found that the majority of parents are satisfied with the education their children receive. More than half gave high grades to the state’s three higher education systems: community college (51 percent good, 15 percent excellent), California State University (52 percent good, 10 percent excellent) and the University of California (50 percent good, 15 percent excellent.)

Less than 30 percent of participants say they approve of how higher education is being handled by the state government.

“Californians’ belief in the importance of higher education is strong, and their regard for the state’s educational system is high, but their trust in state leadership is low,” says Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of PPIC.