UPDATE: September 13, 2023 - A proposal that will increase tuition costs for California State University students by 6 percent over the next 5 years has been approved by the CSU Board of Trustees by a vote of 15 to 5.
Raji Brar, a trustee and local business owner, voted yes on the proposal, but she also voted yes on a proposed amendment, one which didn't pass, that would have reduced the timing of the increase to 4 years instead of 5.
"The frustration yesterday is because it's added on until we see what they are going through, and I think that is absolutely key," said Brar. "And this discussion … with the Financial Aid workshop, I think this has to be paramount when we talk about our students and the total cost of tuition."
In 5 years, students can expect the annual tuition for a resident undergraduate to increase from just over $5,700 to over $6,000. The increase is expected to generate over $148 million worth of revenue for the CSU in the first year.
Public comment at Tuesday's California State University Board of Trustees meeting as students expressed their concerns about a proposed multi-year tuition increase and how it could impact students' educations. The trustees are set to vote on the tuition increase on Wednesday.
Students from across the CSU system are worried about having to take on extra work during the school year to pay for classes and how having to take that time away from their studies will make academic success even more difficult. As one such student, Minaya Valentine, pointed out, many students are already working one or more jobs to pay for classes.
"I was trying to make ends meet. I was living paycheck to paycheck. I was trying to just be able to afford to have accessibility to be at this institution," said Valentine.
Valentine, a third-year student, is interning with Students for Quality Education, a group that advocates for students in all things, including their financial well-being. She explains that students are already struggling to make ends meet, with more than half relying on Pell Grants, and says a tuition increase will just make students' lives harder.
"They're doing monthly payments. They're taking out loans. Some of them are sleeping in their cars," said Valentine.
According to Valentine, students in 5 years could expect to pay an additional $13,000 per year if the tuition increase goes through. The annual tuition price for a resident undergraduate student would increase from around $5,700 to more than $6,000 per semester. The increase would generate more than $148 million in revenue in the first year.
In a partial statement to 23ABC, Amy Bently Smith, Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs for the CSU, stated the following:
The revenues from the increase, if it passes, would be on student-centered priorities. First the. CSU's State University Grant program would increase by one-third of the revenues generated from the tuition proposal. Other priorities that the revenues would support include academic and student services support, basic needs and mental health services, Title IX implementation and ongoing costs, infrastructure including new facilities and ongoing maintenance, and compensation to attract and retain faculty and staff.
Despite the CSU's plans, Valentine says the board of trustees should have more consideration for the students.
"I'm hoping that they're going to vote no because they know, if they have any moral compass behind them, it's going to be embarrassing that you're still being inconsiderate to our institution as a whole," said Valentine.
The CSU Board of Trustees will vote on the multi-year tuition increase at a meeting starting at 8:00 am on Wednesday, September 13. That meeting will be available to livestream at the CSU website.
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