Law School Deans, Law Schools

Hey, Let's Make Law School More Expensive! Top School Dean Proposes Tuition Increase

How much will next year cost for these students already paying over $50K/year?

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We talk a lot about the high cost of a legal education. Not only is it bankrupting students, but it severely cripples the profession by funneling students away from potential careers in lower paying work for the underprivileged or work in underserviced geographic areas — or at least funneling students into those careers for longer than the civic-minded student might want. So we applaud law schools that slash tuition.

Unfortunately, one of the illustrious T14 law schools in the ATL Rankings is going the other direction, proposing a tuition hike…

We all know the University of California faces significant problems. The tax revolt and an unwieldy ballot measure process gutted the state’s finances and now people complain that the straws are to blame for breaking the camel’s back. Still, one wonders if Boalt Hall really needs to bleed more out of students to keep up a first-rate law school. Per The Daily Californian:

The UC Berkeley School of Law may increase its tuition by $1,432 for the 2015-16 academic year to account for rising costs.

Berkeley Law Dean Sujit Choudhry discussed the potential tuition increase at a public town hall meeting Monday at the school. He presented what he called a “modest increase” and outlined reasons for his proposal.

That doesn’t sound so bad until you remember that the $1,432 Dean Choudhry is talking about is just the law school surcharge — the cherry on top. He’s actually proposing this increase on top of an expected hike in tuition for law school students outside his immediate control:

In addition to the proposed supplemental tuition increase, Berkeley Law anticipates systemwide as well as campus tuition increases. Berkeley Law projects that these increases will total a 5.4-percent increase for California residents, raising the total cost of attendance from $51,320 to $54,091. Nonresidents’ total fees would increase by 5.3 percent, from $55,271 to $58,225, according to Michael Bazeley, director of communications for Berkeley Law.

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You know what they say — don’t take on more debt than the expected gross in your first job. Biglaw better get to 190K for these students or they’re going to be pretty strapped.

Again, a lot of the blame falls upon the people of California, who pushed the school to the brink by slowing the trickle of public funds to what is supposed to be the state’s public university. But the immediate factors Dean Choudhry cited for the increase tell a familiar tale of how law school budgeting has created its own crises:

Choudhry cited “ballooning” costs of faculty health care as a primary reason for the increase, as well as the school’s ongoing compensation for an underfunded pension plan.

Choudhry also said the staff size has increased recently in order to provide more student services. He said he is working to “soften the blow” of the potential increase, saying financial aid is the primary financial focus of his deanship.

California’s issues underfunding pensions aside, we’ve heard all of this before. In fact, we’ve had a study on it. Academic administrators like spending money on… MOAR ADMINISTRATORS. Tons more in fact. And while he cites “faculty” health care, the school is being pushed by all those administrator health bills.

So enjoy your tuition increase, Berkeley students! Be sure to thank your Assistant Associate Dean of Law School Outdoor Intramural Ultimate Frisbee or whatever.

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Campus law school proposes tuition increase [The Daily Californian]
Administrators Ate My Tuition [Washington Monthly]

Earlier: Every Law School Mistake Ever, From One Lady
THIS Is What It Looks Like When A Law School Actually Cuts Tuition

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