Fact: UC Riverside is boosting California enrollment by 977 students in 2016

UCR Freshman Convocation 2015

“As the state’s economy becomes increasingly reliant on highly skilled workers, a confluence of trends — the retirement of baby boomers, and demographic shifts toward groups with historically low rates of college attendance — makes [public] investments all the more crucial to the state’s continued economic success.” — Public Policy Institute of California

5 things you need to know:

1. In 2015, the California Legislature allocated $25 million to UC to increase enrollment of California undergraduates by an additional 5,000 in 2016–17.
2. For the University of California, Riverside specifically, this means welcoming 977 additional California students — compared to the 2015 admissions cycle — with enrollment growth at every campus.
3. Many of these students will be transferring from California’s community colleges, where UC saw a 12% increase in applications.
4. UCR is working to address the logistical hurdles inherent in such rapid growth, including ensuring that the campus has adequate faculty, staff, classroom space and housing.
5. Bottom line: More California students will have better access and opportunities to achieve a UC education.

More can be done to grow California’s number of college graduates:

• UC will be looking for the state’s support to grow enrollment of California undergraduate students by 10,000 students over the next three years.
• That includes asking the legislature for an additional $6 million in state support to enroll 600 more graduate students in 2016–17. Graduate students are instrumental in both assisting professors teach the younger generations of UC students, and creating new knowledge and innovative research for California.
• If you believe in the promise of public higher education, join UCR as a volunteer advocate at UCR Advocacy Day in Sacramento on April 13 and 14, 2016. For more information, see our recent post, “Let’s Make College Possible.”

Learn more:

• UCR Magazine: “UCR’s graduate students are changing the world with groundbreaking research.” (Winter 2016). Read the article.
• Los Angeles Times: “UC Seeks to Boost Californian’s Enrollment by 10,000 by 2018.” (Nov. 9, 2015). Read the article.
• UC Newsroom: “UC to Dramatically Boost California Student Enrollment.” (Nov. 19, 2015) Read the article.
• Public Policy Institute of California: “Closing the Gap: Meeting California’s Need for College Graduates.” (April 16, 2009) Read the report.