Baking for College on Solano Avenue

With a table full of cupcakes, cookies and brownies and a sign that read "Help me go to college," 18-year-old Amalia Mourad hoped to raise more of the money she needs to stay in school on Tuesday afternoon.

Around 3:30 p.m., she'd already been at Solano Avenue and Colusa Avenue for four hours. But it was worth it — when passersby on Solano Avenue spotted Mourad's table, they happily opened their wallets, compelled by her sign and the sweets.

"Where are you going to school?" a man asked, handing over $2 for a cookie — a donation of $1.

"UC Santa Barbara," said Mourad. "I've just finished my first year."

Mourad will be starting her sophomore year studying art already $12,000 in debt. She hopes to offset the amount of future loans with her baking profits. 

"My grandma taught me how to bake," she said. "She helped me with the oatmeal cookies."

The North Berkeley resident has already had three bake sales, earning $200 to $230 from each one. She's optimistic about the outcome of her latest bake sale as well, and plans to have another sale sometime this weekend.

Last month, the University of California to increase tuition by 9.6 percent, raising tuition for undergraduates to about $12,200 per year. Four years ago, students paid about $6,571 in annual tuition, just more than half the amount students will pay starting this fall.

Thank you to reader Evan R. for emailing us about this bake sale! If you want to let us know about a potential story, scroll down to "contribute" and click "send us news tips."