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Average tuition and fees for in-state student: $9,022 in 2011-12 Increased: 20.5% from a year prior and 98.3% from five years prior <br> The worst could be yet to come for students in California's public universities. If California residents vote against state tax increases in the November elections, the school system will have to come up with money fast to fill the $375 million budget gap that would ensue, says Dianne Klein, a spokeswoman for the University of California's Office of the President, which is the headquarters for the 10 UC campuses. Under that scenario, tuition could rise 20.3% for the second semester of the upcoming academic year. Much of California's growing college-cost burden has been placed on out-of-state students. The 10 most expensive campuses for out-of-state students in the U.S. are all in California, where tuition, fees, room and board in total ran up to roughly $51,000 last year, according to the Chronicle for Higher Education. Klein says that despite the rising costs, overall applications to the UC system are going up; she also says that because of the system's financial aid programs, about half of all UC undergrads pay no tuition.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" target="flickr">Flickr:</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/66944824@N05/" target="flickr"> Denis Bocquet</a>