The Blue and Gold Scam

I confess that, like many, I was impressed by Yudof's raising the cap for Blue and Gold eligibility to $80,000: it looked a step in the right direction, intended to extend access to UC for the middle class, and a way to return to students some of the extra revenue collected through tuition increases.

But now, as Bob Meister makes clear in his analysis, the proposed increased cap is financed by revising the amount of "self-help" students are supposed to provide, and deducting such amount from their financial aid. In other words, eligibility is extended by reducing the amount provided to current recipients, at no cost to the University, who pockets the extra tuition revenue. A gimmick or, in the words of UC Financial Aid Directors, “a political plan, not a practical plan”. Unfortunately, this does nothing to improve our early assessment of Yudof's leadership.