In response to recent legislative budget action, the California State University Board of Trustees today voted to raise the State University Fee by five percent for undergraduates and graduate professional programs. Trustees also increased fees for doctoral education students by 10 percent. For full-time undergraduates, that translates into a $204 annual increase, and brings the total State University Fee to $4,230 beginning fall 2010.
“The board’s decision to limit the student fee increase to five percent is based on the Assembly budget proposal that provides additional state revenues. It will allow us to move forward with adding classes and sections for students this fall,” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. The board also left open the option of revisiting fee levels in November if the state does not fully fund the proposed budget.
Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal for the CSU calls for a restoration of $305 million that would serve to backfill a “one-time” reduction to the CSU budget from 2009-2010, as well as an additional $60.6 million that would fund enrollment expansion. Additionally, the California State Assembly budget committee has advanced a proposal to maintain the Governor’s proposed budget, with use of one-time funding for the restoration of $305 million, and also provides additional state revenues as a partial replacement of CSU fee revenues. Revenue from a five percent fee increase ($50 million), coupled with the funding proposed in the Assembly’s version of the budget would provide the CSU with an increase of roughly $466 million over the 2009-2010 budget, a figure that still falls short of the $480 million needed to fully restore resources to 2007-2008 levels.
Effective for fall 2010, full-time fees will increase by $204 for undergraduate students, $234 for credential program participants and $252 for graduate students. The undergraduate State University Fee will rise from the current $4,026 to $4,230 per year. Including the current average campus fee of $867, CSU undergraduate students will pay approximately $5,097 per year, still the lowest fee rate among comparable institutions and $3,270 below the comparison average.
Education doctorate fees will rise from $8,676 to $9,546. The fee is mandated by state legislation to remain at or below the level of state-supported doctoral degree programs offered by the University of California which are currently set at $10,302 for the 2010-2011 academic year. For nonresident students, per unit fees will remain at the same levels, but the cap of $11,160 has been lifted, and the tuition paid per term will be calculated based on the number of units taken.
More than 187,000 CSU students will pay no fee increase due to increases in the State University Grants, federal grants, CSU fee waivers and expanded federal tax credits. Additionally, the CSU is the largest recipient of federal Pell Awards for students. On average, factoring in financial aid, families who make $70,000 or less will not pay any undergraduate fees. Financial aid and federal tax credits will also be available for many other students, including those with family incomes of up to $180,000.
The CSU Trustees voted 10 to two, with one abstention, to adopt the undergraduate fee increase with Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado and Russel Statham casting dissenting votes, and Margaret Fortune abstaining. Additionally, Trustees voted 11 to two to increase fees for doctoral education students with Statham and Maldonado casting dissenting votes. Finally, Trustees voted unanimously to remove the annual nonresidential tuition cap.
The CSU has faced unprecedented cuts in state support over the past two years totaling approximately $625 million, and has implemented a number of measures to address the drastic funding decline including employee furloughs, layoffs, increased student fees, reduced enrollment, and other campus cost-cutting measures.
If either of the current proposed budgets is adopted, CSU could serve as many as 29,000 more students and restore additional classes and sections.