This has only been true very recently. It used to be about $3k a year, and before that it cost nothing at all, and before that, you got paid to go to university

This has only been true very recently. It used to be about $3k a year, and before that it cost nothing at all, and before that, you got paid to go to university with a grant. Only this year has the UK launched these awful fees (did you see the riots?) and now put itself in a position where students are now paying the same as some of the public schools in the US. If there was an easy way for UK students to get California residency, it would be cheaper for them to come here than go to a domestic university, as the overall cost of living is much lower.