State promise of college for all disappearing

In 1959, as California enjoyed the fruits of more than a decade of post-World War II prosperity, state leaders created the Higher Education Master Plan to make sure every Californian had access to college.Connie Llanos in the Daiily News.

The plan guaranteed admission to the University of California system for the top 12 1/2 percent of the state's high school graduates, the top third could get seats in what became the California State University system, and everyone could enroll in community colleges.

Over the past five decades, the master plan has weathered financial crises that have slowly chipped away at its goals. Now, amid the worst economic crisis in decades, some question whether the state's ambitious higher-education promise can be sustained, and others say it's already history.