The cost of higher education in California is about to go up... way up.
Students and faculty members began what are expected to be two days of protests on Tuesday, in advance of a Board of Regents vote on Wednesday that could hike tuition by a whopping 32 percent.
The protesters are not just angry about the tuition hike. They also expect Regents to slash jobs for professors and support staff.
University of California President Mark Yudof and California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed both went on record this week saying they need to close budget gaps totalling close to $1 billion. Together, the two systems represent 33 schools across California.
Yudof and Reed say it will take a combination of tuition hikes, budget cuts and additional tax dollars to keep the state's colleges and universities operating at a high level. Protesters say the state legislature should be footing most of the bill.
