The University of California has accepted a record number of out-of-state and international students into its system in a time of lower acceptance rates, while in-state students face greater challenges to acceptance than schools had previously established to accommodate California residents.

Since 2009, 57 percent of added spots in the UC system have gone to out-of-state and international students; consequentially, the number of out-of-state and international students enrolled at UC Berkeley and the University of California Los Angeles has skyrocketed from 10 percent to 30 percent in this time period. Also during this time period, out of the 700 new spots created within the same five year time period, 57 percent of those admitted do not live in California. Not only does that leave less spots for those who live within California, but an increase in overall applications results in a more selective admissions process.

The average out-of-state student pays $36,000 per year for standard tuition, while the average Californian only pays $12,000. As a result, the vast difference between the two tuitions provide a much greater incentive for the UC system to accept many more out-of-state students to account for previous budget shortfalls, greater geographical diversity and additional and increased tuitions.

Because of this predicament, Fremont mother Rohini Ashok created a petition in order to reduce the UC system’s incentive to accept and enroll students who do not reside in California.

According to the petition’s website, the “[UC system] is now ‘selling’ its admission process to the highest bidder. Qualified high school students are being rejected in favor of out-of-state and foreign candidates, while a portion of its budget is paid by the state government and our tax dollars. We need the Governor to stop this practice and make UCs available to all qualified Californians as a priority.”

In summation, given the vast increase in admission for out-of-state students, this leaves many more California students to settle for pricier private institutions, out-of-state state schools or community colleges.