UC had very low fees until a combination of financial happenstance and determined Republican meddling (by Governor Reagan) forced them to first raise fees and t

UC had very low fees until a combination of financial happenstance and determined Republican meddling (by Governor Reagan) forced them to first raise fees and then institute tuition. This was around 1983. At the time actuaries for the state were projecting dramatic multi-decade declines in population. You can see how that turned out.