FULLERTON – California State University, Fullerton, officials said Wednesday that they would help seniors who were kicked out of their classes last week for failing to pay fee increases – by opening up more slots in required courses. The university, criticized for ejecting students who say they were never notified of tuition increases, also said it would try to rebuild class schedules for those who might not know that their registration was cancelled.

"This is a collective effort going on all over the campus," CSUF spokeswoman Paula Selleck said.

Each of the university's seven colleges now has a dean designated to work with seniors to try to make sure they can graduate on time, including increasing class sizes or adding new class sections, when feasible and allowed by fire codes, Selleck said.

On Tuesday, The Register reported that 904 students had their fall class schedules cancelled for failing to pay an average $230 fee increase imposed July 16 by California State University trustees.

Other CSU campuses are giving their students a month or more to pay the increases, which were triggered by the state budget crisis. Many Fullerton students say they never got the phone and e-mail notifications that were sent between July 18 and 20.

Initially, campus officials told students their only option was to re-register and try to get back some of their classes, but many classes have filled up. Late Monday, Selleck said the university had decided to help graduating seniors, and that was expanded Wednesday to include all 400 students scheduled to graduate by June 2004.

By 5 p.m. Wednesday, 75 percent of those who were affected had re-registered, Selleck said. The university also is cutting checks or issuing credits to reimburse students for the $25 late fee imposed on all affected students.

She also said that the number designated for students to call, (714) 278-2495, would be revamped by Thursday to make it easier to use.

On Wednesday morning, senior Jodi Banks said no one at the campus would help her regain her required courses because they were only helping students scheduled to graduate in December, and she will be taking one intercession class that will have her finishing up in January. Now, she says she will have to remain in school at least until June to complete all her required courses.

"I've cried, I've gone in there, I don't know what to do," Banks said. "They just say, 'We'll see you in the spring.' "

Students who are not scheduled to graduate at the end of the school year can call the help line but will not be given top priority, Selleck said.

"It's been a living nightmare," said Kylinn Howard, whose daughter Nicole is a junior. "Personally, I think there should be some kind of lawsuit against the school."