As Figure One and Table One reveal, higher education was extremely important to Californians in 1993. Since then, this support has either remained constant or increased. No one who is qualified and motivated should be denied a college education because of lack of money. Californians are also deeply committed to the principle of giving access to higher education for every qualified and motivated young person, regardless of the individual's financial condition. We should not allow the price of a college education to keep students who are qualified and motivated to go to college from doing so.
People also fear that a college degree is already out of reach for many people.
Fifty-two percent of Californians believe that there are many people who are qualified for a college education who lack the opportunity to get one. It is good for the country, and it is good for the kids. The middle class, according to this view, are too poor to afford college but too well-off to qualify for help. Our results suggest that Californians do not share this view. These perceptions are only slightly affected by the income category of the respondent.