Trustees with the California State University system voted
Tuesday to increase tuition once again, this time raising the cost
for fall by 12 percent.
Trustees with the California State University system voted Tuesday to increase tuition once again, this time raising the cost for fall by 12 percent.
The hike follows a 10 percent increase approved earlier this year. Undergraduate students will now pay $5,472 annually. Students paid $4,440 last year.
Trustees said the higher fees are necessary following a $650 million cut in state funding to the 23-campus system approved when Gov. Jerry Brown signed the new state budget earlier this month.
“We are aware this fee increase presents challenges for many of our students, but the alternatives are severe cuts to programs that would impede our ability to provide an adequate education,” said Robert Turnage, assistant vice chancellor for budget.
CSU officials said that without the tuition increases, the CSU would have had to close several small campuses, or decrease enrollment by more than 40,000 students. About one-third of the fee increase will go toward financial aid for low-income students, officials said.
The fee hike means that incoming seniors will have seen their tuition increase by about 79 percent since they began as freshmen in 2008. Trustees said another tuition increase is possible in January if state revenues fall below projections.
“Your solution does not allow us to see a better future,” Cal State Long Beach student Dalia Hernandez told trustees prior to their vote. “You have consistently ignored us when we asked you to consider other cuts. You need to think about students like myself who struggle and have to take more jobs to pay for school.”
About 50 students rallied outside the board meeting in Long Beach, carrying signs calling university leaders corrupt and chastising the cuts. They also chanted “student power.”
Meanwhile, many students in summer session at Cal State Fullerton Tuesday expressed disappointment and frustration over the increased fees.
“This is absolutely ridiculous,” said senior Albert Tu, 22, from Placentia. “They are already cutting classes. It’s going to take me an extra semester to graduate because the classes I need are not available. Now comes another fee increase? Unbelievable.”
Incoming freshman Alysha Gilliam, 18, from Garden Grove said she is worried about accumulating debt.
“My biggest fear now is that I’m going to have to take on a lot in loans,” she said. “Even then, I still need to find a job to help pay for some of the costs.”
Jennifer Spencer, 23, waited to transfer into the university as a junior from a community college because she wanted to save money. But she said the higher fees still make it difficult for her financially.
“Students now just don’t have the same opportunity now for an education as students did before,” said Spencer, from Rancho Santa Margarita. “This just isn’t fair.”
Abby Pagtama, 23, from Irvine, is also transferring to Fullerton as a junior this fall.
“It’s just disappointing that most of these budget cuts are coming from education,” she said. “We should instead focus on ending these wars that are costing us so much.”
Parent Juanita Marquez heard about the fee hike when she brought her son Adrian, 18, to the campus to file paperwork before he begins this fall as a freshman.
“This just feels like a punishment for wanting to pursue an education,” she said.
The University of California will also consider a tuition hike on Thursday. UC Regents are expected to approve increasing tuition by 9.5 percent to $12,192 annually.
