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The California State University's Board of Trustees
today approved the proposed 2005/06 support budget, which
included student fee increases effective for fall
2005.
The annual state university fee for resident
undergraduates and for students in CSU's teacher credential
programs will increase by 8 percent, or $186 and $215,
respectively. Fees for graduate students will increase by 10
percent or $282.
"Raising fees is a very difficult decision for all of
us. This is one of many actions we are forced to take as a
result of the budget cuts experienced over the previous three
years," said Murray L. Galinson, chair of the Board of
Trustees. "I strongly suggest that we all work together,
faculty, students, trustees and the administration, to show
the governor and the legislators that the needs of the CSU
system are much greater than what this budget
reflects."
Including the average campus-based fees of
$582, the resident annual fee for 2005/06 will be $3,102 for
undergraduates, $3,504 for teacher credential students, and
$3,684 for all other graduate students.
Even after the fee increase, CSU students will continue
to pay, on average, some of the lowest fees of any university
in the nation. The 2005/06 annual fee for undergraduates will
be $2,554 less than the average fee for 2004/05 for CSU's
public comparison institutions. The state will continue to pay
the largest portion of the cost of education. If the 2005/06
budget plan is fully funded, students will pay about 22.7
percent of the cost of education.
The adoption of the fee increase honors the terms of
the higher education compact that the CSU reached with Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in May 2004. It calls for the CSU to
develop its annual budget plan based on the assumption that
undergraduate student fees will increase by 14 percent for
2004/05 and by 8 percent each for 2005/06 and 2006/07.
The 2005/06 fee increase and enrollment growth revenue
will generate approximately $101.2 million in new revenue to
help fund CSU's critical needs. One fourth of this revenue --
$23.3 million -- will be used to increase the CSU State
University Grant pool to help financially needy
students.
2005/06 CSU Budget
Based on the higher education compact, the proposed
2005/06 CSU budget requests $224.8 million in new revenue for
the CSU. The new revenue includes funding for a 2.5 percent
increase in student enrollment, which would allow the CSU to
serve an additional 10,000 students (8,103 full-time
equivalent students).
In addition, the budget will provide a 3 percent
increase for general operations, funding nearly $137.8 million
in mandatory costs, compensation, and long-term needs that
have not been funded over the past three years. The proposed
budget recommends a 3.5 percent compensation pool.
"Over the next several months we will be working with
the governor, his administration, and legislative leaders to
make the case for the CSU, and to ensure that the university
receives its fair share of state resources," said CSU
Chancellor Charles B. Reed. "We hope these conversations
result in actions that recapture the promise of California's
master plan for higher education."
The budget and fee increases were adopted on a 15 to 3
vote, with Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, Trustee Ricardo F. Icaza,
and student Trustee Eric Guerra casting the dissenting votes.
More information: Trustee
agenda | Press
release | 