Cal State proposes more student fee increases

Under the proposal, fees would increase $204 to $4,230 a year for resident undergraduates, go up $234 to $4,908 for teacher credential students and increase $252 to $5,214 for graduate students, said CSU spokesman Michael Uhlenkamp.

The board also will vote on eliminating the cap on nonresident tuition, so out-of-state students would pay about $16,000 for a full course load of 30 units, up from $11,160 now, he said.

"We’re facing an unprecedented budget crisis,” Uhlenkamp said, adding that the board could revisit the fee issue in November if the CSU system does not receive as much state funding university officials anticipate.

Still, the proposed 5 percent fee increase is less than the 10 percent hike that many had expected, said Miles Nevin, executive director of the California State Student Association.

"I think this is palatable for our students,” he said. "I think it’s reasonable considering the climate.”

As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state Legislature seek to close a $20 billion state budget deficit, CSU students are encouraged that the governor and the Assembly have both proposed restoring $366 million in funding to the CSU system, Nevin said.

Over the past two years, the CSU and 10-campus University of California systems have reduced enrollment, furloughed faculty and cut course sections in response to steep reductions in state funding. Both systems have raised undergraduate fees by more than 30 percent over the past year.