The difference? This time, the students are fighting for a chance to join the system, not break free of it. It's a sign of the times that what the students want - an opportunity to establish a decent life through a college education - seems far more elusive these days than identity battles.
And there's no doubt that the UC regents' decision on Thursday to hike tuition and fees by 32 percent will cost some current students and many potential ones that opportunity. Despite the university's insistence that an expansion of the Blue and Gold Opportunity plan (wherein students who come from households of $70,000 and lower have all their systemwide fees covered if they meet financial aid criteria) will continue to make the UC accessible, there are many current students who haven't even heard of the plan. And there will be many more potential students from struggling middle-class families who will simply look at the skyrocketing sticker price and walk away. When the students say that their future is at stake, they aren't exaggerating.
