<p>At USC, about 50% of applicants and admitted students are from California, and those students typically also apply to more than one UC (all the UCs are on one application, so it is very easy to apply to multiple campuses - those with fee waivers may waive the fees for up to four campuses). So the decisions of California students may have an impact on USC’s yield. I don’t think the number of applications will change significantly, I think the yield may change - the question is, which way??? Will California’s budget troubles push students to USC, or will the economic troubles in general push them to a UC?</p>
<p>Yes, mdcissp, California has been hurt. While there are million-dollar houses and high paying jobs, the vast majority of the 38 million Californians are living in ordinary houses doing the same type of jobs you find anywhere. In my community, the median home price is currently $240,000. In a nearby community (of about 300,000 people) the median home price was just published at $165,000 (that community also has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation). Those figures are about 40% lower than 3 years ago.</p>
<p>The Cal Grant program (California’s college grant program) has been suspended (again) [No</a> budget, no money - News](<a href=“http://media.www.thepolypost.com/media/storage/paper1127/news/2009/01/20/News/No.Budget.No.Money-3589284.shtml?refsource=collegeheadlines]No”>http://media.www.thepolypost.com/media/storage/paper1127/news/2009/01/20/News/No.Budget.No.Money-3589284.shtml?refsource=collegeheadlines) and there is not yet any information what that will do to families counting on them. At USC, the Cal Grant is worth $9,708. That is more than the system wide fees (“tuition” for California students) at the UCs. If the program is not re-instated with the new budget, will USC be able to make up that amount, or will families have to cover it? Without the Cal Grant, can middle-income families (like mine) even consider USC? There is a great deal of confusion and worry for Californians who do not have million-dollar homes and huge incomes. (And, despite the stereotypes, that includes most of the 38 million of us.)</p>