UC-Berkeley Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl warned Wednesday that because of budget cuts students this year may see fewer classes, shorter library hours and longer lines at the student health clinic.

The state's financial crisis already means the 33,000 students who begin classes Monday are facing a 30 percent increase in fees, part of the state budget approved earlier this month.

For students living in residence halls, the cost of two semesters -- including fees, room and board, books and supplies -- is estimated at $20,006, up from $17,676 last fall.

Vacant positions have been frozen at the University of California-Berkeley, and at least 70 university employees, some of whom work in buildings or on the grounds crews, will probably be laid off.

But Berdahl said the university has worked hard to minimize the impact of budget cuts on students.

``The grass may be longer before it gets cut, and the windows won't be washed on a regular basis,'' said Berdahl in his annual back-to-school remarks to the media. ``We've tried to protect the core educational mission . . . the student-teacher ratio will not change.''

Still, Berdahl was frank about his concerns that further budget cuts could seriously erode the university's mission. In a letter to students, he said:

``I do worry about the fragile future of public higher education. The once-inspired vision of public higher education as a vital public good appears lost, buried in budget wrangling and politics . . . California's great promise to succeeding generations -- the envy of every state in this nation and of countries around the world -- faces its most serious test ever as state funding deficits drive fees higher and jeopardize enrollment growth. This is one test, I believe, we cannot afford to fail; a promise we should not allow to be broken.''

Berdahl also highlighted a few new initiatives that will greet students this fall. The ubiquitous housing crunch has been eased by a construction campaign that added 1,200 beds on the south side of campus, and additional housing will be built for graduate students.

A dinner series for freshman is designed to encourage new students to take advantage of the faculty and grow more comfortable dropping in during office hours.

And students in residence halls who want free Internet connections must attend an orientation session about peer-to-peer file sharing. The university wants to make sure students are aware the music industry is cracking down on people who upload music and videos through the Internet.

About 54 percent of the 3,640 freshmen are women, 44 percent are Asian-American, 30 percent are white, 1 percent are Latino, 4 percent are African-American, 0.5 percent are American Indian, 8 percent declined to state, and 1 percent are other ethnicities.

Berdahl is spending much of the week hosting receptions for new and returning students at his home on campus. Despite the budget pressures, he says fall is always an exciting time of year.

``We're off to a great start despite the dark clouds that hover on the horizon,'' Berdahl said.