Tuition increase at California State universities is tough, but necessary | Opinion

One of the hallmarks of the California State University system is how it provides a college education at an affordable price.

That ideal will lose a bit of its luster, however, if CSU trustees agree to a tuition hike at their Wednesday meeting in Long Beach.

The board will consider increasing annual tuition costs by 6% annually for the next five years. For the CSU campuses in Sacramento, Turlock and Fresno, the jump will be felt acutely, as many of the students at those universities come from low-income backgrounds and are the first in their families to attend college.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students, meanwhile, must confront some of the state’s most expensive housing, in addition to the highest enrollment costs in the Cal State system.

For incoming freshmen, the annual cost of attending Cal Poly this year ranges from $11,490 to $12,204 for tuition and fees. Since most first-year students are required to live on the San Luis Obispo campus, that puts the grand total at $32,808 to $33,522.

Yet other than a system-wide tuition increase, there is no other reasonable way to meet Cal State’s rising costs, short of the Legislature putting dramatically more money into the CSU. Given the California Department of Finance’s projections of future state budget deficits, the trustees should approve the plan.

CSU’s shortfall

CSU administrators say an increase is needed to make up for a budget deficit of $1.5 billion for the 23-campus system and its 450,000 students.

Cal State funding is provided by two main sources: the state’s general fund and tuition. Operating costs have risen, but tuition has not been increased in 11 of the last 12 years. There are also new costs challenging the CSU, such as food and housing assistance, as well as mental health counseling that became acutely apparent in the pandemic.

Under the proposal, yearly tuition would rise to $6,084 for full-time students in the 2024-25 year. By 2028-29, tuition would stand at $7,682. The proposal is for 6% increases each year for five years. A review would be done in 2027-28. Those amounts don’t include mandatory student fees, which vary by campus. At Sacramento State, for example, students pay an additional $1,960 per year.

The tuition increases would not affect 60% of students who qualify for scholarships, grants and other aid that covers all of their tuition. That fact, however, drew the concern of one trustee, California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who worries about costs when students already face higher rents and prices for other necessities.

“We’ve heard about this notion that this will only affect 40% of our student body — $840 million raised in five years, put on the backs of 40% of our students,” said Kounalakis at the July trustees meeting, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. “How can we possibly contemplate that kind of money while we are talking about students who we know are not wealthy?”

At Fresno State, 78% of undergraduate students got financial aid in 2021-22, with the average awards totaling just over $9,700 per student. At Sacramento State, 70 percent of undergraduate students received financial aid in 2021, a slight decrease from the previous year. The average award for students was $9,535.

in Turlock, Stanislaus State’s share of students in need is even higher, with 82% receiving aid.

Losing classes

The California Faculty Association and the Cal State Student Association both oppose the tuition hikes. At the same time, the faculty association is asking for 12 percent raises for its members across the 23 CSU campuses. Negotiations reached an impasse in early August and labor disruptions are not out of the question. Meanwhile, student leaders are pushing back hard on the proposed fee increases.

“What we are seeing today is that despite the rising costs of living, textbooks and educational resources, the CSU system seems to prioritize amplifying executive compensation over mitigating student financial hardships,” wrote Dominic Quan Treseler, president of the Cal State Student Association, in a recent article for EdSource.

“Over the last three years, the chancellor’s salary has seen an almost 60% increase, and some campus presidents have seen a nearly 30% increase.”

But CSU Executive Vice Chancellor Steve Relyea told reporters recently that if more revenues are not found, students would feel the pinch of ongoing budget problems in the form of fewer class offerings and support services.

One requirement that makes the tuition increase more palatable is a review before the end of the five-year period to ensure the plan is working correctly.

Given that, the CSU trustees should pass the tuition hike now. That way, students applying for the 2024-25 year can know what to expect.

This editorial represents the view of editorial boards at The Sacramento Bee, The Fresno Bee, The Modesto Bee and The Tribune in San Luis Obispo.