Fee break for CSU

It's happened.

To many California State University students a halt in fee-hikes seemed impossible, but it has happened -- at least for this year.

On Aug. 2, the California State Legislature approved a budget that included more money for California's public colleges and universities, enabling the CSU system to avoid an increase in student fees for the first time in almost a decade.

At SF State, the news came as a surprise to several students.

"I just assumed that fees were going to go up," said graduate student Danny Silver who transferred from CSU Northridge. "Every semester it's like 'Oh great, here we go again.'"

This year state funding for the CSU system will increase approximately 4.2 percent -- from $1.5 billion last year to $1.6 billion, according to the chancellor's office.

The funding increase for 1995-96 marks the first year of Governor Pete Wilson's four-year pact for higher education. The plan calls for more efficiency in public universities in order to provide more resources for a growing number of students, said Cindy Katz of the Child Development and Education Office, a branch of the governor's office.

It is a delicate balance which the California higher education system has struggled with for years, Katz said.

The funding increase is intended to help accommodate 2,000 more students in the CSU system, the nation's largest four-year public university system with 320,000 students, according to the chancellor's office.

"While our funding is still below where it was five years ago," said CSU Chancellor Barry Munitz, "we're extremely grateful for the governor's commitment to the compact for higher education, and most appreciative of the Legislature's additional appropriation."

In 1990, the CSU system received approximately $1.7 billion from the state, according to Steve McCarthy, spokesperson for the chancellor's office. But even then, the CSU Board of Trustees implemented fee-hikes.

CSU fees have risen steadily since 1986 when students paid $573 per year. The current fee stands at $1,584 per year.

Angry about the continual fee-hikes, in April the California State Students' Association organized a group of students to speak before the Assembly in Sacramento. And in October of last year several other students gathered in Los Angeles to ask the Board of Trustees not to raise fees.

"This is a good example of students being heard," McCarthy said. "Students always say that their voices aren't being heard. (In October) they came in and made some thought-out arguments and the Board responded. (The Board) said, 'If the state will augment our budget then we won't raise fees.'"

Although the new budget will cover most of the revenue that would have come from a 10 percent fee-hike, universities will still need to contribute about $9 million system-wide, according to McCarthy.

"The campuses will essentially have to eat it," he said. "Some services may be affected, such as fewer library purchases, deferred maintenance, stuff like that, but it will be up to the individual campuses to decide how they want to do it."

McCarthy said the chancellor has placed more pressure on university presidents to be more efficient, especially regarding management.

"We're going to have to scrimp and save here and there," saidLeroy Morishita, director of SF State's office of university and planning. He said the campus budget committee will meet with SF State President Robert A. Corrigan next week.

Marc Levine, chairman of the California State Students' Association is quick to credit the California Legislature for the freeze on fees.

"We owe a lot of this to the Legislature who really believes in higher education," he said. Levine added he's optimistic fees won't increase even after 1996.

Still, Katz emphasizes that public universities remain at the mercy of the state's economy.

"It's never been our goal to cut funds for higher education," she said. "I don't think (the increased funding) had as much to do with the students as it did with California's economy. The economy is doing better than it has in past years and education always has been the main benefactor.

"I don't think there's any guarantee on a year-to-year basis, but I think the state economy will continue to improve," she said, "although it's hard to see into a crystal ball."

[ back to Golden Gater Online August 31, 1995 ]

[ back to top ]