In 1980 during your driving lessons I was in my first year of my MA in history at UCLA. Annual tuition: $824. Renting a room in a 2 BR apt on 333 North Curson in West Hollywood: $162.50.
My job at the study abroad and travel office in Ackerman paid $5.51/hr.
After 7 months as a first year graduate student I got a $5000 grant from the Del Amo Endowment to do archival and oral history research (read old newspapers, interview veterans) in Barcelona on the Spanish Civil War. UCLA treated me very well. We had no idea how good we had it and what an exceptional time it was.