Monday, May 10, 2010

Please contact your CA Assemblymember and Urge YES Vote on AB 2401

Please send this letter or one of your own to your Assemblymember today. This is one of the most important bills the legislature will consider this cycle. We must stand together to help make it impossible for the Governor to veto this bill.

Some CSU campuses are building dormitories and moving towards giving out of state/service area students admissions preference. Providing housing can be a profitable enterprise for CSU campuses. But the real purpose of the California State University is to educate our young people not to run hotels.

Dear Assembly Member,

I urge you to vote for AB 2401 when it comes before you in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 12.

The purpose of this bill is to establish that the various campuses of the California State University (CSU) should give priority, in admissions, to applicants from each campus's service area. For example the California State University, San Diego, should give higher priority, for admissions, to applicants from the San Diego area rather than to applicants from other parts of the state, or from out of state.

Frankly, that has been part of the mission of the California State University for many decades. That policy makes it possible for students to limit their college expenses by living and eating in their parents home.

And there is a significant difference between attending CSU, while living at home, or attending a distant campus of CSU and living on campus or in town. According to the CSU web site, in academic year 2009-2010, the cost of attending CSU while living at home is an average of $14,591. Attending a campus, that is distant from home, while living on campus, costs an estimated $20,106 or living off campus costs an estimated $21,145. So living at home could save a student almost as $6,000 per year.

Some CSU campuses are building dormitories and moving towards giving out of service area students admissions preference. Providing housing can be a profitable enterprise for CSU campuses. But the real purpose of the California State University is to educate our young people not to run hotels.

The California State University has a long, honorable history of providing quality education at minimal cost to the people of California. It should continue to focus on that; superior education at minimal cost.

AB 2401 directs the California State University to do just that. Please vote for it in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Sincerely,

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