By Donna Hemmila

Photos by Robert Durell for UCOP

UC President Mark Yudof delivers remarks as he introduces Project You Can at Fresno's Sunnyside High School.

Fresno high school students shouted out a rousing cheer of "sí, se puede" to the news that the University of California's new Project You Can would help them pay for a UC education.

UC President Mark G. Yudof launched the new student scholarship fundraising effort today (Oct. 23) at Sunnyside High School in east Fresno, where 87 percent of the more than 3,200 students come from low-income families.

"We're in the opportunity business, and we want to knock on as many doors as possible," Yudof told an assembly of 250 students, all enrolled in competitive academic programs the school offers.

Yudof detailed two student support efforts that will help make a UC degree possible for many students who face financial hardships.

Through Project You Can, the 10 UC campuses aim to raise $1 billion in the next four years for student support — doubling the amount they collectively raised for students during the last five years.

Yudof is also asking UC Regents to raise the income ceiling on The Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan to make more lower-income families eligible. Currently the plan covers all systemwide fees for financial aid eligible California resident undergraduates with household incomes of $60,000 and below. Yudof is proposing raising the income level to $70,000. Regents will vote on both student support efforts at their November meeting.

Both efforts are intended to fill the growing financial needs many college-bound Californians are experiencing.

"You know as well as anyone in this state that these are tough times," Yudof told the students. "Many of your families are struggling to hold on to jobs, to homes, to dreams. In the next few weeks you may read some scary headlines that say, 'Fees are going up at UC.'

"You and your family may be thinking, 'We can't afford it. UC is out of reach.' I'm here today to tell you that's not true."

The event kicked off with the school's marching band entertaining the audience. A group of 45 members and alumni of the school's Doctors Academy sat with Yudof on the stage when he announced the new financial support efforts. Doctors Academy founder Dr. Katherine Flores also attended the event and encouraged students to take advantage of the support UC can offer. The academy is an academic enrichment program that encourages students to enter medical professions. Before the assembly, UC Regents Odessa Johnson and Fred Ruiz, Academic Senate Chair Dr. Harry Powell and UC Merced Chancellor Steven Kang met with students enrolled in the program.

Yudof chats with members of Doctors Academy, based at Sunnyside High School.

"I feel like anything is possible now," said Valerie Rodriguez, a senior who wants to be a doctor and to attend UC. "It's like your dreams will happen, and you can dream big."

School counselor Mony Ward said it was encouraging in these tough economic times to hear that UC is creating programs to make financial help available.

"As a counselor I can say, 'Yes, you will apply to a UC, you will be competitive and you will get in,' " Ward said.

With state per-student support dropping dramatically — 40 percent since 1990 — students have had to shoulder more of the cost of their education through fee increases. Faced with an $813 million state budget cut in two years, UC Regents will consider both mid-year and fall 2010-11 fee increases in November. If approved, resident undergraduate fees will rise from the current $7,788 to $10,302 by fall 2010.

UC sets aside a third of undergraduate fee-increase revenue and half of graduate fee increases for financial aid. The campuses raise about $100 million annually in private donations to support students. In 2008-09, more than half of UC undergraduates received gift aid averaging $11,100 per student. But donor-supported scholarships and fellowships traditionally have played a smaller role in UC student financial support than state, federal and UC grants.

As student need has grown, campuses have expanded their student support fundraising. Project You Can takes those efforts up another notch. That was a message Sunnyside High School students were glad to hear.

"I think the president's speech showed us there are no walls blocking you," said student Darlena Meas. "There's always a way to make it possible. Like he said, 'Si, se puede.'"

Donna Hemmila is managing editor at the UC Office of the President's Integrated Communications group.