The Day Tuition Ends

Recent grads of the University of California, San Diego won't be surprised when they're called upon to help support the institution through donations -- or at least those attending the university's "The DayTuition Ends" event won't. The two-day event, taking place this week on campus, aims to encourage students to appreciate the full value of their education, beyond expenses, and "to one day give back to their university as much as they have received," explains Armin Afsahi, assistant vice chancellor of the university’s Office of Alumni Affairs and executive director of the UCSD Alumni Association.

Annual undergraduate fees at UC San Diego are approximately $9,000 but add up to only 8.9 percent of the cost of educating one student at UC San Diego, attendees will learn. The remainder is paid by the university, the State of California funds for education, which funds approximately 12 percent, and donations. But the dollar amount doesn’t account for invaluable life-changing experiences students have inside and outside the classroom, they'll be reminded.

Visual displays on UC San Diego’s Library Walk illustrate how tuition dollars would run out if not for government support and the philanthropic efforts of UCSD alumni, students, and friends.

UCSD has made efforts to ensure that alumni feel valued as well, such as its UCSD Near You program of speakers that holds events in various cities throughout the country where there are concentrated pockets of alumni.  I covered the nuts and bolts of this program in the article "Road Tour," published in the November 2008 issue of University Business.