<p>ucdddad, you should read the comments from affected students on some of the links posted above. Not all kids sit around and do nothing over winter break. What a cynical generalization, especially with the rising cost of college. My kid does not attend a UC but he relies on his winter break job to help support him through spring semester. So do thousands of other kids. And two weeks is not much time for international students to travel home. The UC system benefits from these full-pay kids (in addition to the diversity they offer).</p>