The cash-strapped UC system has started shifting the balance of admitted students to better favor profitable out-of-state applicants, UC officials reported today. In addition to accepting a record high 80,289 freshman to the nine undergraduate UCs for the fall semester, 23% of the incoming class are non-Californians who pay roughly three times as much tuition as the California natives.

Last year's class was made up of 18% out-of-staters, which was already double the percentage of 2009's entering class. While we'd love to believe the influx of out-of-state and international students was due to a rumor that they wouldn't have to learn any American History, it seems the answer is just a matter of money.

As Kate Jeffery, interim director of undergrad admissions for the UC system, explained today, the UC schools "have the capacity to educate many more students at our campuses. What we don't have is the funding to admit more California students."

Factor in a slightly lower overall admission rate than last year and things are starting to look a lot less favorable for the next wave of Californian students seeking out an affordable in-state education.

[KTVU]