Letters to the Editor: L.A. Times readers can't rescue every kid unable to afford UC

Los Angeles Times Opinion
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Los Angeles, CA - April 14: College counselor Jacqueline Villatoro, left, speaks with students Jonathan Cornejo, middle, and Emily Gramajo, right, at West Adams Preparatory High School on Friday, April 14, 2023, in Los Angeles, CA. Cornejo is a West Adams Preparatory High School senior who got into his dream school - UC San Diego - with a 4.0 GPA and leadership positions as student body president and yearbook editor. But he's choosing community college instead because he and his mother, a Salvadoran immigrant who works two restaurant jobs to make ends meet, can't afford the student housing costs that financial aid doesn't fully cover. Gramajo, is also opting for community college rather than her dream school, Cal State Northridge because she can't afford the dorms and doesn't have a car to drive there. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
College counselor Jacqueline Villatoro, left, speaks with students Jonathan Cornejo, middle, and Emily Gramajo, right, at West Adams Preparatory High School on April 14. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: The story of Jonathan Cornejo is meant to be heartwarming: A low-income student's dreams of attending UC San Diego are rescued by the generosity of strangers who read about his plight in the L.A. Times.

Except there are countless other Jonathans, equally deserving, who didn't happen to be the subject of a newspaper article. And it's a fair bet that some of the people who gave to the student's cause would object to paying higher taxes so that those thousands could also afford college — even if the tax increase would be less than what they donated.

It's easy to be generous when you see the face of the person you're giving to. But the moral thing is to donate to the faceless ones as well. For a long time we have known that the most efficient way to support everyone equally is by getting together and forming a government.

Attending a University of California campus used to be free. Let's bring that back.

Geoff Kuenning, Claremont

..

To the editor: As I sat during an awards ceremony at Cal State Fullerton recently, I marveled at the volume, depth and breadth of the incredible work done by students, most of them undergraduates.

I also thought of the well-intended people who gave money so a student could attend UC San Diego, and I wished they could have been there to see how their money could have been spent at a California State University school.

I worked at Cal State Fullerton for nearly 30 years, and I know that students doing extraordinary research guided by dedicated faculty is standard, not rare. I have known students and faculty at UC schools who are often surprised by what CSU students are able to do.

CSU graduates, enhanced by their research experience, go on to UC, Harvard, Stanford and other highly regarded universities for their advanced degrees.

CSU should never be considered a second choice.

Susan Fisher, Placentia

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.