On March 29, the California State Auditor released a report blistering the University of California’s practice of admitting large numbers of out-of-state students, even those who are less qualified than their Californian counterparts. System-wide, the report found, so-called nonresident enrollment has increased by 82 percent from 2010 to 2014 while in-state enrollment has only increased by one percent. At UCSB, nonresident enrollment has jumped by 72 percent at the same time in-state enrollment fell by 2 percent. About 13 percent of the roughly 23,000 undergrads at UCSB hail from out of California.
The audit recommends UC restrict nonresident enrollment and adopt stricter admissions criteria for nonresident applicants, among other things. UC officials have long contended that nonresident students — who pay $23,000 extra — helped make up for budget cuts the system endured during the recession. They are adamant such enrollees are not displacing California students. “We fill every single California spot with a California resident,” said UCSB admissions director Lisa Przekop. “We are funded by the state. If we have additional space, we can fill it with nonresidents.”
Still, state legislators said UC’s reliance on out-of-state dollars disadvantages Californians, particularly minorities, and called for the audit. The report found UCSB brought in $49.5 million in nonresident revenue, a 214 percent increase from five years ago. But exactly how that additional money is spent remains unclear. Even though UC officials argue those funds are essential to improving education quality and enrolling more Californians, the audit found “the university does not give campuses spending guidance or track how they use these funds.”