The Cougar Chronicle Staff

With the passage of Proposition 30 byCalifornia voters on Tuesday, the California State University system can avoid a $250  million mid-year budget cut, and will rescind the student tuition hike that took effect this semester.
What this means to students at Cal State San Marcos and other CSU campuses statewide is a $249 refund. Students will either get a credit on their account, a refund or a reconfiguration of their financial aid package, according to an announcement by the CSU on Wednesday.

We are hopeful that the passage of Proposition 30 will be the beginning of the state’s reinvestment in higher education,” said outgoing CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed, in a statement. “The long-term benefits of additional revenue can only be realized if higher education is once again a priority. The state needs to start making up for the devastating budget cuts of the past several years, and focus on higher education as a driver ofCalifornia’s economic future.”

The CSU Board of Trustees had previously approved a contingency plan to rescind a $249 per semester tuition fee increase that took effect for the fall 2012 term. Annual tuition fees for full-time undergraduate students will now revert back to $5,472 – the same rate as in the 2011-2012 academic year. Students will either be credited, refunded or receive a reconfigured financial aid package to account for the revised tuition fee rates.

With the passage of Proposition 30, CSU’s budget will essentially remain flat for the remainder of this fiscal year, but state funding is still approximately $1 billion less than several years ago. The CSU Board of Trustees had previously approved a contingency plan to rescind a $249 per semester tuition fee increase that took effect for the fall 2012 term. Annual tuition fees for full-time undergraduate students will now revert back to $5,472 – the same rate as in the 2011-2012 academic year.

Campus enrollments will also remain constant for fall 2013. The system had held applications from new students pending the outcome of Proposition 30, which has a direct impact on funded enrollment targets. Campuses will immediately begin to review applications for new student admissions for the fall.