Melissa Gonzalez works weekends to help her parents foot the tuition bill for California State University, Dominguez Hills, where the 20-year-old is studying liberal arts.

But if the California State University trustees approve a proposed 30 percent fee hike today, it could stretch Gonzalez’s budget so thin she may need to cut back on school hours.

“Obviously, it sucks,” Gonzalez said of the possible fee increase. “I’m not getting financial aid. I’m not getting scholarships. Basically, it’s coming out of my parents’ pockets. If it goes any higher, they won’t be as willing to help out.”

CSU and University of California trustees are expected to vote today on fee increases of up to 30 percent to bridge funding gaps caused by the state’s $38 billion deficit.

If approved, CSU fees would go up $474 a year to $2,046 for undergraduates and $522 a year to $2,256 for graduate students. UC fees would rise 25 percent to $4,794 for undergraduates and $5,019 for graduate students, and the UC regents are likely to approve an additional 5 percent increase that would go into effect if the state budget worsens. Fee increases for CSU and UC campuses were assumed in the governor’s proposed budget, which also called for hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to both systems.

At Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson, students dreaded the potential fee increase. They already went through one round of tuition hikes in December when CSU trustees approved a 10 percent raise.

“I don’t think it’s good for students,” said Melody Jenkins, 22, who is studying communications at Dominguez Hills. “A lot of students on financial aid are having to take out more and more loans. It makes it harder.”

Likewise, 19-year-old Greg Key believes the fees are going up too much, and he may need to get a part-time job or take out government loans to help his parents with the Dominguez Hills tuition.

“I’m trying to avoid that, but 30 percent, I don’t know,” he said. “I think we can handle it.”

In addition to student fee increases, the UC and CSU systems may need to reduce enrollments in 2004-2005.

CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed has asked campus presidents to prepare for cutting enrollment by 2 percent — or 8,000 students — next year, which could be accomplished by accepting no new applications for the spring and winter sessions.

The UC system could save $45 million by enrolling 5,000 fewer freshmen and transfer students next year, though turning away students is a last resort, UC President Richard C. Atkinson said.

“Reducing enrollments clearly would be distressing. UC has a proud tradition of guaranteeing access to a high-quality education for the state’s very best students,” he said in a prepared statement. “But continuing state budget cuts could very well leave us with no choice.”