Cal State students speak out against proposed yearly 6% tuition hike

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Dozens of demonstrators rallied outside of the California State University Chancellor's Office in Long Beach Tuesday over a new proposal that could raise the cost of tuition even higher at Cal State institutions.

The proposal would raise tuition by 6% annually for the next 5 years. That means it would raise tuition by $342 for the 2024-2025 school year, making tuition $6,084 a year for full-time students.

People demanded for CSU leaders to better invest in students and staff.

"I don't get how we're going to be able to pay for tuition if we can barely afford it now," said Cal State L.A. student Anabell Rangel. "This is going to be a huge financial burden because most of us have to work two to three jobs. I have had to work three jobs."

According to the chancellor's office, there is a $1.5 billion funding gap between its revenues and costs.

The Cal State University system has two primary revenue sources: state funding and tuition, and leaders said they need more financial resources. If the proposal were to pass, by 2028, tuition would go up to $7,682.

State Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis said the 5-year increase proposal is problematic.

"I think that it is an abdication of the duty of the trustees to have automatic tuition increases rather than bringing the possibility of tuition increases up, if not every year, which would be what I would suggest," she said.

A statement from the chancellor's office read in part, "The CSU has been and will continue to be a careful and prudent steward of the resources entrusted to it.

The system faces continual and growing cost pressures-an increased need to expand high-cost degree offerings, inflation, unfunded mandates, as well as infrastructure needs growing over time.

For example, inflation grew by 39% from 2011-12 through 2022-23 while tuition increased 5%-or $270 during that period."

The proposal would raise nearly $500,000 at the 23 Cal State campuses.

"The California Faculty Association always opposes student tuition increases," said California faculty Association President Charles Toombs. "We think that students in the CSU really should be able to attend for free. We don't appreciate the student debt they graduate with."

The proposal will go up for a vote at the September CSU Board of Trustees meeting.