Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as 2 of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law authorizes these segments to charge students tuition and mandatory systemwide fees, among other charges, for attendance at these institutions. The existing Donahoe Higher Education Act specifies that none of its provisions applies to the University of California except to the extent that the regents, by appropriate resolution, make that provision applicable.

This bill would add to the Donahoe Higher Education Act a provision requiring the trustees, and the regents if they act by appropriate resolution as referenced above, to determine the amounts of undergraduate tuition and systemwide fees for each entering first-year class at their respective segments. The bill would require that the tuition and mandatory systemwide fees set for California residents in each incoming first-year class under the bill would not be increased until at least 6 academic years have elapsed from the date that class commenced its attendance at the segment. The bill would exempt from that 6-year limit the duration of any leave of absence taken by a member of the class in order to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States.