CSU raises fees for students
It's more of the same for California State University students as their fees will increase.
The system's board of trustees voted Friday to raise fees by 5percent for full-time undergraduates and graduate professional programs as well as increase fees for doctoral education students by 10percent.
Effective in the fall, full-time fees will increase by $204 for undergraduate students, $234 for teacher-credential program participants and $252 for graduate students.
The undergraduate state university fee will rise from $4,026 to $4,230 per year.
Including the current average campus fee of $867, CSU undergraduate students will pay about $5,097 per year, still the lowest fee rate among comparable institutions and $3,270 below the comparison average.
The system's board of trustees voted Friday to raise fees by 5percent for full-time undergraduates and graduate professional programs as well as increase fees for doctoral education students by 10percent.
Effective in the fall, full-time fees will increase by $204 for undergraduate students, $234 for teacher-credential program participants and $252 for graduate students.
The undergraduate state university fee will rise from $4,026 to $4,230 per year.
Including the current average campus fee of $867, CSU undergraduate students will pay about $5,097 per year, still the lowest fee rate among comparable institutions and $3,270 below the comparison average.
Student fee increases have become a trend and almost expected.
Last May, board of trustee members voted to increase student fees by 10percent and then again by 20percent in July. Students have endured about 53 percent in student fee hikes in the past three years and almost 200 percent since 2002.
"It's the same reaction I gave when they announced the increase last year, regardless of what it is. Sure it's a little less now, but it's still a fee increase," said Ruben Vasquez, 21, a fourth-year aerospace engineering major.
Vasquez attended Tuesday's meeting not only as a student but as a member of Cal Poly Pomona's Students for a Quality Education.
"One of the reasons for the increase was essentially the system was not going to go through with furloughs, so the only other means of quick revenue is to put a fee increase on students," he said.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget proposal for the CSU does call for a restoration of $305 million that would serve to backfill a "one-time" reduction to the CSU budget from 2009-10 as well as an additional $60.6 million that would fund enrollment expansion.
Additionally, the Assembly budget committee has advanced a proposal to maintain the governor's proposed budget, with use of one-time funding for the restoration of $305 million, and also provide additional state revenues as a partial replacement of CSU fee revenues.
Revenue from a 5percent fee increase, which is $50 million, coupled with the funding proposed in the Assembly's version of the budget would provide the CSU with an increase of roughly $466 million over the 2009-10 budget. The figure still falls short of the $480 million needed to restore resources to 2007-08 levels.
"The board's decision to limit the student fee increase to 5percent is based on the Assembly budget proposal that provides additional state revenues. It will allow us to move forward with adding classes and sections for students this fall," CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed said.
The board also left open the option of revisiting fee levels in November if the state does not fully fund the proposed budget.
Which is where Vasquez hopes the money goes.
"We need it to go toward the services that we need to be successful, and that is getting the classes we all need because every time we go to register it becomes even more and more difficult," he said.
Education doctorate fees will rise from $8,676 to $9,546. The fee is mandated by state legislation to remain at or below the level of state-supported doctoral degree programs offered by the University of California, which are set at $10,302 for the 2010-2011 academic year.
For nonresident students, per unit fees will remain at the same levels, but the cap of $11,160 has been lifted, and the tuition paid per term will be calculated based on the number of units taken.
Full-time students are not the only ones affected by the student fee increase.
Part-time CSU students will have to fork over $120 in the fall for their classes. Part-time credential program participants will have to pay $138 and part-time graduate students will be charged $144.
"Again they keep trying to solve the resource problems of the system on the backs of students and it is the opposite of what we should be doing," Cal State San Bernardino professor Marcia Marx said. "We argue that education is the answer to the financial woes of California so that people can be educated workers for the future, but this really impacts the access to education."
More than 187,000 CSU students will pay no fee increase due to upticks in state university as well as federal grants, CSU fee waivers and expanded federal tax credits.
Additionally, the CSU system is the largest recipient of federal Pell Awards for students.
On average, factoring in financial aid, families who make $70,000 or less will not pay any undergraduate fees. Financial aid and federal tax credits will also be available for many other students, including those with family incomes of up to $180,000.
The CSU trustees voted 10 to 2 for the 5 percent fee increase, with one abstention, to adopt the undergraduate fee increase with Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado and Russel Statham casting dissenting votes, and Margaret Fortune abstaining. Additionally, trustees voted 11 to 2 to increase fees for doctoral education students. Statham and Maldonado cast dissenting votes.
Trustees also voted unanimously to remove the annual nonresidential tuition cap.
The CSU system has faced unprecedented cuts in state support over the past two years totaling about $625 million, and has implemented a number of measures to address the drastic funding decline including employee furloughs, layoffs, increased student fees, reduced enrollment, and other campus cost-cutting measures.
If either of the current proposed budgets is adopted, CSU could serve as many as 29,000 more students and restore additional classes and sections, officials said.
"When student fees were hiked last summer it brought a lot of confusion, concern and anger from students to those who are called leaders in the educational system - especially when there was no warning and nothing there to protect the students," said Nathonas Duro, a Cal State San Bernardino student.
Duro attended the CSU board meeting on Tuesday advocating for her fellow students. She graduates today with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
"We were hoping that we would never have to experience that again, but as we can see today, we see the increase on students as the main source of revenue for CSU."
Last May, board of trustee members voted to increase student fees by 10percent and then again by 20percent in July. Students have endured about 53 percent in student fee hikes in the past three years and almost 200 percent since 2002.
"It's the same reaction I gave when they announced the increase last year, regardless of what it is. Sure it's a little less now, but it's still a fee increase," said Ruben Vasquez, 21, a fourth-year aerospace engineering major.
Vasquez attended Tuesday's meeting not only as a student but as a member of Cal Poly Pomona's Students for a Quality Education.
"One of the reasons for the increase was essentially the system was not going to go through with furloughs, so the only other means of quick revenue is to put a fee increase on students," he said.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget proposal for the CSU does call for a restoration of $305 million that would serve to backfill a "one-time" reduction to the CSU budget from 2009-10 as well as an additional $60.6 million that would fund enrollment expansion.
Additionally, the Assembly budget committee has advanced a proposal to maintain the governor's proposed budget, with use of one-time funding for the restoration of $305 million, and also provide additional state revenues as a partial replacement of CSU fee revenues.
Revenue from a 5percent fee increase, which is $50 million, coupled with the funding proposed in the Assembly's version of the budget would provide the CSU with an increase of roughly $466 million over the 2009-10 budget. The figure still falls short of the $480 million needed to restore resources to 2007-08 levels.
"The board's decision to limit the student fee increase to 5percent is based on the Assembly budget proposal that provides additional state revenues. It will allow us to move forward with adding classes and sections for students this fall," CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed said.
The board also left open the option of revisiting fee levels in November if the state does not fully fund the proposed budget.
Which is where Vasquez hopes the money goes.
"We need it to go toward the services that we need to be successful, and that is getting the classes we all need because every time we go to register it becomes even more and more difficult," he said.
Education doctorate fees will rise from $8,676 to $9,546. The fee is mandated by state legislation to remain at or below the level of state-supported doctoral degree programs offered by the University of California, which are set at $10,302 for the 2010-2011 academic year.
For nonresident students, per unit fees will remain at the same levels, but the cap of $11,160 has been lifted, and the tuition paid per term will be calculated based on the number of units taken.
Full-time students are not the only ones affected by the student fee increase.
Part-time CSU students will have to fork over $120 in the fall for their classes. Part-time credential program participants will have to pay $138 and part-time graduate students will be charged $144.
"Again they keep trying to solve the resource problems of the system on the backs of students and it is the opposite of what we should be doing," Cal State San Bernardino professor Marcia Marx said. "We argue that education is the answer to the financial woes of California so that people can be educated workers for the future, but this really impacts the access to education."
More than 187,000 CSU students will pay no fee increase due to upticks in state university as well as federal grants, CSU fee waivers and expanded federal tax credits.
Additionally, the CSU system is the largest recipient of federal Pell Awards for students.
On average, factoring in financial aid, families who make $70,000 or less will not pay any undergraduate fees. Financial aid and federal tax credits will also be available for many other students, including those with family incomes of up to $180,000.
The CSU trustees voted 10 to 2 for the 5 percent fee increase, with one abstention, to adopt the undergraduate fee increase with Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado and Russel Statham casting dissenting votes, and Margaret Fortune abstaining. Additionally, trustees voted 11 to 2 to increase fees for doctoral education students. Statham and Maldonado cast dissenting votes.
Trustees also voted unanimously to remove the annual nonresidential tuition cap.
The CSU system has faced unprecedented cuts in state support over the past two years totaling about $625 million, and has implemented a number of measures to address the drastic funding decline including employee furloughs, layoffs, increased student fees, reduced enrollment, and other campus cost-cutting measures.
If either of the current proposed budgets is adopted, CSU could serve as many as 29,000 more students and restore additional classes and sections, officials said.
"When student fees were hiked last summer it brought a lot of confusion, concern and anger from students to those who are called leaders in the educational system - especially when there was no warning and nothing there to protect the students," said Nathonas Duro, a Cal State San Bernardino student.
Duro attended the CSU board meeting on Tuesday advocating for her fellow students. She graduates today with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
"We were hoping that we would never have to experience that again, but as we can see today, we see the increase on students as the main source of revenue for CSU."
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