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Four months after proposing a $300 million cut for the University of California, Gov. Gray Davis spared UC from further reductions this week in the May revision of his annual budget. 

“I think we owe [Davis] a round of applause and gratitude,” said Larry Hershman, UC vice president for budget. 

The move eased some fears among UC students, who likely face a $795 fee hike next year, that they will have to dish out even more for fees. 

But UC officials said they are still concerned about a Republican plan to add $400 million in cuts to the governor’s $300 million proposal. 

“That would be devastating,” said Hershman, suggesting that student fees would skyrocket if the Republicans have their way. 

Peter DeMarco, spokesman for Assembly Republican Leader Dave Cox (R-Fair Oaks), said heavy cuts for the university and many other state-funded programs are necessary when the only alternative is the $8.3 billion in new taxes Davis proposed this week to help close an estimated $38 billion state budget shortfall. 

“The tax increases are a non-starter for us,” he said. 

Hans Hemann, chief of staff for state Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), said Hancock was shocked by the Republicans’ $400 million additional cuts, released April 29. 

“It would have wiped out a university the size of [UC] Berkeley,” he said, arguing that voters will never stand for such a huge cut.  

California law requires a two-thirds vote in the state Legislature to pass a budget, giving Republicans, the minority party, significant leverage in the debate. The legislature has until June 15 to pass a final budget, but has traditionally ignored the deadline. 

The $300 million in UC cuts that Davis proposed in January include a $25 million reduction in student services, a $29 million cut in research dollars and a $33 million cut to outreach programs designed to prepare poor, minority students for the UC system.  

The January proposal also called for a $795, or 24 percent, fee hike for undergraduate students. The UC Board of Regents is set to vote on the $795 increase in June or July. If approved, the increase would come on top of a 10 percent, $405 mid-year hike, bringing the average annual fee on UC’s nine campuses to $5,082. 

Graduate students systemwide would face an $855 hike next year, on top of a $405 mid-year jump, bringing average fees to $6,196.  

Dozens of students, from as far away as the University of California Los Angeles, showed up at the Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco Wednesday to protest the proposed hike, arguing that it will price thousands out of an education. 

“You raise my fees, you cripple our communities,” said Leon Arellano, a UC Davis student who warned that he will have to spend more time working and less time studying if the hike passes. “Release your hands from my neck.” 

“Fee increases should be a last resort,” added Stephen Klass, a UC San Diego student and chair of the University of California Student Association. “If you raise fees you will not only be failing students, you will be failing the state of California.” 

UC officials said the alternatives — cutting classes or slashing faculty salaries that already lag 9 percent behind the market — are unacceptable. 

“Taking students and not offering [a full range of ] classes is not a solution,” said Hershman. “We have resisted that.” 

Tempers peaked when the regents, after one extension of the public comment session, declined to hear more speakers. Students, who said they had skipped classes and driven all night to attend the meeting, refused to back down, and board chairman John Moores called a recess.  

Moments later, UC police declared an unlawful assembly and escorted the students out of the auditorium as they chanted, “Whose university? Our university.” 

There were no arrests. 

Protesters called on the regents to vote on fee increases by the end of May, so students can be present, rather than wait for the summer when campuses empty. But officials said they will have to delay the vote until June or July when the state passes a final budget. 

“We cannot take an action until there is something to be acted on,” said Regent Judith Hopkinson. 

University officials said financial aid will cover the full fee increase for 40 percent of all UC students, including most of those from families that earn less than $60,000 per year. 

But students said the fee hikes will still hurt. 

“People will have to work more, to take out student loans, to put their children in day care,” said UC Berkeley student Camilo Romero.