The California State University (CSU) Chancellor Timothy P. White rejects the proposal of tuition increase for the academic year of 2018-19.

“This decision is not made lightly. There will be serious adverse consequences if state funding falls short of meeting our university needs.

Without sufficient additional dollars, campuses will need to reevaluate staffing levels, programs and services. We would be put in the situation that less is achievable with insufficient funding,” said White.

The lack of funding from legislature and the amount the CSU is asking does not meet the needs from the CSU.

The CSU Board of Trustees requested $263 million in state funds for 2018-19. Governor Brown proposed a $92.1 million fund for the CSU. The California Faculty Association (CFA) is asking for $422.6 million to fund the CSU, allowing an enrollment growth. Approximately, 30,000 qualified students were denied admission at a CSU.

The Governor’s Budget for 2018-19 were released on Jan. 10 by the Department of Finance reporting a $5.9 billion revenue increase but revisions will be made in May of 2018.

A $5 billion deposit was proposed to the state rainy day fund by the Governors agenda. The Chancellor’s Office has prepared for a budget cut with campus leaders. This includes less course sections, enrollment decrease, less students receiving financial aid, decrease in facility services and maintenance and more.

The CSU Board of Trustees Finance Committee, Jan. 29 to 31 agenda states, “The CSU’s first priority and commitment is to make the case with state leaders that additional investment in the CSU is in the best interest of the state and students. The result is outside CSU’s control with state leaders making the final decision. The other approach is to use CSU-controlled strategies—a potential tuition increase and a potential reduction to academic, and non-academic programs and services.”

Due to the lack of funding, a four percent tuition increase was proposed by the CSU Board of Trustees. The increase of $228 per residential undergraduate student would have a tuition increase from $5,742 to $5,970 per student annually.

On April 4, several California students rallied at Sacramento for more funding to the CSU. White and Senator Toni Atkins of the 39th senate district joined the rally, supporting students.

An approximate $7 billion surplus is predicted by the Legislature Analyst Office for the state of California by the end of 2018-19. The rally was to push legislature to use the predicted surplus towards the CSU.

CSUSM Students for Quality Education (SQE) Campus Organizer Kelsey Baird, biology student Julianna Gutierrez and CSUSM CFA President Darel Engen traveled to Sacramento to join the rally.

“We let them know loud and clear how opposed we were to a tuition increase, and that they could expect even larger demonstrations and greater push back had they gone ahead with one.”
said Dr. Engen.

Dr. Engen said he believes the April 4 rally was a major factor in the decision of no tuition increase. “Our question is, if you’re [Governor Jerry Brown] not going to give us money this year, then when? If not now, when?” said Baird.

For more information about CFA visit calfac.org.CSUSM

SQE meet every other Tuesday at Kellogg Library. For more information about the organization and meetings, contact them at [email protected]