Horowitz: Patrick Ahrens is denying the truth on tuition hikes

The rising cost of education is one of the biggest challenges facing California families.

As someone who has spent years advocating for affordable and accessible education, I know how devastating tuition hikes can be for students who are already struggling to make ends meet. That’s why I was disappointed to see Assembly District 26 candidate Patrick Ahrens claim in a recent campaign email that it’s a “big lie” he voted to raise tuition. Let me be clear: it’s not a lie. Ahrens has repeatedly voted to raise nonresident tuition at Foothill-De Anza Community College, and that decision has placed an additional burden on the very students he claimed to represent.

In his email, Ahrens spoke about making “the truth matter again.” If that’s truly his goal, then it’s time for him to own up to the fact that, during his time on the Foothill-De Anza board of trustees, he voted several times to increase nonresident tuition. In February 2023, Ahrens supported an 8% tuition hike. The year before, in 2022, he voted for a 7.8% increase. In 2021, it was a 6% hike, and in 2019, yet another 7% increase. These are facts — documented and undeniable.

It’s important to note that while tuition is free or close to it for local students, Ahrens doesn’t set those rates. They’re determined at the state level, and the local board has no power to change them. The tuition hikes he supported were for nonresidents — the only rates his board has control over.

These tuition hikes didn’t just add a small fee — they significantly increased costs for nonresident and international students, many of whom already face higher tuition rates than in-state residents. These students often come to California for the opportunities our community colleges provide, but with each tuition hike Ahrens voted for, those opportunities became less attainable. Raising tuition forces students to make difficult choices: take on more debt, reduce their course load or abandon their education altogether.

For Ahrens to claim it’s a “big lie” is not only misleading — it’s a betrayal of the students who trusted him to fight for affordability. He ran for office on the promise of protecting students from rising costs. As a former student trustee, he knew firsthand how devastating tuition increases could be, especially for those already struggling financially. But when given the opportunity to make good on that promise, Ahrens consistently voted to raise tuition and make it harder for students to succeed.

In this race, it’s not just about promises — it’s about actions and results. Ahrens claims it’s a “big lie” that he voted to raise tuition. The truth is, he did.

Ken Horowitz is a professor emeritus at Foothill Community College with more than 40 years of experience.