CSUN University News Clippings

CSU might hike student fees by about 20 percent

(July 15, 2009)

by Gary Robbins
Published: 7/14/09

The Register

Barely two months after it increased students fees by 10 percent, the California State University system is considering raising fees by about 20 percent to help California balance a budget deficit projected at $26 billion. (Read CSU Budget Central).

The latest increase, to be voted on by system officials on July 21, would affect all 23 CSU campuses, including two of the largest, Fullerton and Long Beach.

May’s 10 percent increase raised fees for full-time undergraduates by about $306. The roughly 20 percent increase would add another $672 to student bills, says Claudia Keith, a spokeswoman for the CSU, which has about 450,000 students. The university system says a full-time undergrad would pay about $4,962 — or more than $1,200 than a year ago — if the second fee increase is imposed.

Smith says the 20 percent hike would not affect about 187,000 students due to offsetting hikes in such things as Pell grants, Cal Grants and university funds.

“Any family earning $75,000 or less won’t end up paying more fees,” Smith said. But she added that the proposed hikes could affect thousands of students whose parents don’t fall into the lower income category.

The CSU must save $584 million for the 2009-10 academic year. The new fees will cover part of it. But the system is in the process of arranging to have all of its employees take two unpaid furlough days per month to save millions more.

It is unclear whether the higher fees, and the furloughs, will make it significantly harder for CSU students to get the courses they need to graduate within a reasonable period of time.

Publication: Orange County Register