RE: Question 3: Student Fees

The state should do everything in its power to ensure that low income Californians can attend college.  My office currently is participating in a working group to study student fee increases and to develop a rational fee policy.  I am particularly interested in studying the possible effects and benefits of implementing a tiered rate system, where tuition would be based on a student's ability to pay.  While I am willing to consider adopting a student fee policy that would increase fees from their current level, I am also concerned about students' ability to pay the non-tuition related costs of attending college.  We need to include in our conversations the costs of housing, transportation, books and other costs associated with living and attending college in California.