Leaders of California's public universities voted yesterday to increase student fees by the largest amounts ever because of funding drop-offs stemming from the state's worst budget crisis in history.

The 610,000 students attending University of California and California State University campuses would be hit with fee increases between 25 percent and 30 percent in the fall.

Undergraduate students at CSU's 23 campuses will pay $2,046 next year, a 30 percent increase. Undergraduate students at the nine UC campuses will pay about $4,794 next year, a 25 percent increase. Those amounts apply to in-state students.

A UC committee recommended the raises 5-4 yesterday, and the full board is expected to give its approval today. The CSU vote is final.

Regents are also expected to give UC President Richard Atkinson authority to raise fees an additional 5 percent, if necessary.

When considered on top of the midyear fee increases approved six months ago, CSU's 410,000 students this fall will pay fees that are 40 percent more than they paid last fall. UC's 200,000 students will be paying fees at least 35 percent higher than a year ago.

Dozens of students attending the UC meeting in San Francisco chided regents and legislators for the size and short notice of the increase.

"Students will have to work more hours, take out more loans and possibly drop out," said Matt J. Murray, a UC Berkeley undergraduate and the board's student regent.

Some angry CSU students disrupted the meeting in Long Beach.

"Shame!" shouted Nancy Galarza, a 21-year-old political science student at Long Beach State who tearfully said she may be unable to complete her education because of the fee increases.

Officials at both university systems emphasized that families making less than $60,000 will be given a grant that covers the fee increase. UC has created a "middle-class grant" for the fall, which will cover half the cost of the fee increase for needy families with incomes between $60,000 and $90,000. UC officials estimate that about 40 percent of those families would qualify for the grant under federal aid guidelines.

However, UC officials warned that negotiations for the 2003-04 budget are incomplete and could lead to more cuts. "Next year may be even worse than this year," Atkinson said.

UC regents briefly discussed the possibility of becoming the first public university system to use a graduated fee structure and charge wealthier families higher fees. For example, if a family making $90,000 or more paid an additional $1,000 in fees, UC could generate about $60 million in revenue.

Regents also discussed limiting enrollment by having UC-eligible students attend a community college for two years and then transfer to a UC campus.

Officials also discussed limiting student enrollment by 5,000, about 11 percent of the number of new students it admits each year. This would be a departure from UC's long-standing agreement to accept the top 12.5 percent of all California high school graduates. These options are expected to be discussed at a September meeting.

At the CSU meeting, some students called for a student and faculty strike if fee increases continue. Student trustee Alex Lopez, who joined Ricardo Icaza in voting against the fee increase, warned that the higher fees could deal a blow to CSU's mission of access to the poor and minorities.

"Everybody wants a piece of the American dream. Raising fees raises those obstacles to that dream," said Lopez, the only student on CSU's board.

San Francisco State history professor Lil Taiz cited studies that show that at least 1 percent of college students drop out for every $100 fee increase.

"My students are not frivolous party animals. They are struggling to raise themselves up by their bootstraps. This fee increase takes away their boots," Taiz said.

Some UC regents who voted for the fee increase said they had no other option. The university had already made deep cuts to the administration, libraries, research, outreach and student services.

"It's a horrendous situation, and all of us feel in dilemma," said regent Sherry Lansing. "Not one single person wants to raise fees. But it's a crisis situation and something we can't deny."

Regents Ward Connerly, David Lee, Matt Murray and Tom Sayles voted against the increase. Board members were urged to seek other cuts.

"Forty percent in one year is tough to digest," Connerly said. "I know we have no other choice, but I beg the board to string the increase over a longer period of time. Even if we suffer on quality, what good is quality if we're forcing people out?"

Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, a longtime opponent of fee increases, urged fellow regents to find other options.

"It is unacceptable for the state and UC to balance the budget on the backs of students and working and middle-class families. In tough economic times, education should be more affordable, not less," he said.

Bustamante and administrators sparred over numbers comparing the cost of attending a UC campus with that of other public universities.

Bustamante argued that when adding fees, room and board and transportation, UC students end up paying about $15,200 a year, thousands more than students at other public universities.

However, UC officials said when factoring in its financial-aid program, students pay an average of $9,000 a year, less than comparable universities.

Officials at both systems expressed frustration at legislators who intercede and avoid fee increases approved by governing boards.

For the past eight years, the Legislature has "bought out" fee increases by providing more revenue. This, regents and trustees said, holds fees at artificially low levels and leads to large increases during budget crunches.