Taken by Jonathan Godoy

The Princeton Review has recognized UC Riverside as one of the top 150 colleges in the “Best Value Colleges for 2012” list. The criteria for the list includes an examination of an educational institution’s level of academics, distribution of financial aid and the cost of attendance. Despite increased tuition among UC schools, UC Riverside has remained affordable for many students due to financial aid and scholarship opportunities.“This is great. I am not too surprised that UCR made it into this list. The financial aid the school offers to students is actually nice. Some families may express concern with monetary issues, but UCR finds ways to offer a descent amount,” stated third-year UC Riverside student Laura Hanner.

Financial concerns have become an increasingly important factor in the process of deciding which universities and colleges to attend. Recent findings by the  Princeton Review revealed that 86 percent of teens and parents search for colleges and universities that offer the best financial assistance.

Students’ surveys and evaluations were factored to determine UC Riverside’s placement on the list.  In addition, the Princeton Review looked into the academic programs offered to undergraduate students.

Despite the positive news, some UC Riverside students believe that the university’s status as an affordable option may be jeopardized by continued tuition increases.

“I don’t think UCR will remain on that list if we continue to cut funding in our education. The new round of tuition increases will hurt our education and weaken our system, therefore causing little satisfaction,” stated an undergraduate student who preferred to remain anonymous.

Only the top 10 colleges and universities were ranked while the remaining 140 institutions were unranked. “I would have preferred to have seen where UCR actually ranked. This will motivate our university to strive for better education on campus,” added Hanner.

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