When Californians think about the state's higher education system, they immediately find themselves with two opposing concerns. On the one hand, they are convinced that a college education is, more than ever before, a key to a good job and to a secure economic life. Three out of four Californians (76 percent) agree that even in today's tough economic climate, a young person who goes to college has better economic prospects than one who takes a job right out of high school. Because a college education is such a critical gateway to a good job and a good future, the vast majority of Californians (84 percent) believe that no qualified and motivated student should be barred from attending college because of cost. Findings from this study suggest that a college degree has increasingly taken on the status of a high school degree in the past: the basic entry ticket to life in the American mainstream.
At the same time that Californians are convinced of the necessity of a college degree, they are also becoming much more worried about the attainability of college education. Fifty-two percent think that many qualified people are currently unable to get a college education in California, 67 percent feel that opportunity for higher education has decreased in the last ten years, and an even higher number (73 percent) believe that getting a college education will become even more difficult in the future. Most Californians are convinced that declining educational opportunity is hitting hardest at those who can least afford it-students from low income families. As a result, Californians are deeply concerned about higher education: 53 percent report a high level of concern, even in comparison to top-drawer issues such as the economy. Nearly two-thirds say they would support a fundamental overhaul of the state's higher education system.
Compared to the nation as a whole, Californians are more likely to think that educational opportunity is currently available, but they are much more pessimistic than other Americans about the future of higher education. They are also more likely to think that their state's educational system should be substantially overhauled, with 64 percent of Californians calling for basic changes versus 54 percent nationwide.
When it comes to assigning blame, Californians point first to state government. Sixty-three percent see cutbacks in state funds as a very important factor in the troubles faced by higher education, and almost the same number (61 percent) point specifically to state mismanagement. Direct educational costs, such as professors' salaries, equipment and buildings, are less likely to be cited as very important factors.
Certain basic values seem to drive the public's attitudes about solutions. Californians want a system that provides opportunity to every qualified person (84 percent support this fundamental value). Californians also value personal responsibility and reciprocity, the sense that people should give something back for what they receive. Sixty-eight percent, for example, think that unless students have some personal responsibility for paying for the cost of education they will not appreciate its value. An overwhelming majority (70 percent compared to 18 percent) is convinced that individual motivation is more important for a good education than the quality of a college.
These values explain the way Californians think about proposed solutions. They are opposed to ideas which restrict opportunity to education (such as cutting enrollments or raising fees) but they are more likely to consider changes in how education is delivered (including less research, less money spent on buildings, and higher student-faculty ratios). Presumably, Californians feel that a motivated student can compensate for bigger classes, but can't get any education if he or she is excluded from college attendance. Similarly, the public gives the greatest support to financial aid structures that maximize the values of reciprocity. Providing students with an opportunity to work for their financial aid has overwhelming support. Other approaches, such as loans, direct aid to colleges, and grants to students are somewhat less popular.