Hecker, a 21-year-old junior art major, is typical of many students at Cal State who hold down a job in order to pay for college. He lives off campus in a San Bernardino apartment and plans to graduate in five to six years, he said by phone.

Cal State's role as a school that accommodates the region's working class and first-generation college students is being threatened by rising state tuition fees and a belt-tightening created by the state budget crisis.

Late applicants for fall quarter will be turned away and spring admissions is closed for next year. Current students will be pressured to graduate sooner so others can take their place, University President Al Karnig has said.

The university recently rejected 150 applications from students contingent on their completing math and other entry requirements. Normally they get admitted, but late, said Joe Gutierrez, university spokesman.

Only applicants to teacher credential programs will be admitted in the fall and spring quarters, he said. Winter quarter may remain open for all admissions. The Palm Desert campus remains open for enrollment in all programs. The 30 percent increase in state tuition fees, effective July 17, will encourage students to pack their course loads to earn a diploma sooner, Karnig said by telephone.

Anticipating the equivalent of 14,800 full-time students at the San Bernardino campus this fall, 1,000 fewer will be admitted, university officials said.

Last December, the state increased tuition fees by 10 percent. Undergraduate students now pay $682 for six or more units -- plus another $218 in fees for student services. Undergraduates taking fewer than six units pay $436 a quarter in state tuition fees.

Fees for 44 percent of Cal State San Bernardino's 17,000 students are covered by state grants and financial aid, Karnig said.

Hecker, from Apple Valley, is not among them. The higher fees now make him question why he enrolled at Cal State San Bernardino. He thought it was a good deal when he began attending in 2001, after passing the high school equivalency test, he said. His grandparents got him started with some tuition money.

"It's not the best school in the world," said Hecker, who works as a graphic designer and janitor on campus. "You come in here, you get your degree and get out. I came here because of the cost, but they keep bumping up the price, and not really increasing the education value."

Now access to the university and enrollment growth will be limited.

"Access is a primary value for CSU as a whole," said Robert McGowan, Cal State San Bernardino's associate vice president for enrollment services.

"Our challenge will be to accommodate as many students as we can. Obviously the resources have shrunk as a consequence of state fiscal crisis," McGowan said.

Through its student advising programs, Cal State is establishing clear plans that students can follow to graduate in four, five or six years.