The prospect of another student fee increase for the California State University system, this one 30% on top of another last December, put a damper on orientation for new students and parents Friday at Fresno State.

The proposed fee hike may be accompanied by enrollment cuts and faculty and staff layoffs in the CSU system.

The sober mood on campus extended to the administration at California State University, Fresno. Those who were on campus Friday recognized that the state's persistent budget crisis now seems likely to affect them more severely.

Chancellor Charles Reed has informed presidents of all 23 CSU campuses that the proposed fee increase would be but one measure. CSU trustees are expected to consider a fee increase at their meeting July 16.

The CSU system also may limit or reduce enrollment and lay off employees in response to the state budget deficit, estimated as high as $38 billion. CSU trustees raised undergraduate fees by $144 and graduate fees by $228 in December.

Another increase would raise annual fees to $2,040 for undergraduates.

Fresno State president John Welty said he anticipated the proposed fee increases and other measures as part of "very tough decisions" necessary in "very difficult times." He spoke from Kansas City, Mo., where he is attending NCAA deliberations on allegations that Fresno State failed to exert institutional control over its athletics program, primarily men's basketball.

He said Fresno State probably will have to lay off 12 to 15 management employees.

"At the moment, we don't plan faculty or staff layoffs," Welty said.

Fresno State also plans to cut technology spending by about $1 million, he said.

The fee increase is necessary to make sure the CSU system has sufficient funds to make courses available to its 407,000 students, Welty said. He doubted that the higher charges would force out lower-income students because most receive financial aid, which would be adjusted to the increase.

Fresno State will hold to its intention not to cut classes, Welty said.

Nothing is final about the higher fees or other measures, said Bernie Vinovrski, assistant vice president for enrollment at Fresno State.

He doubts that the fee increase discussed will curtail enrollment, although the CSU system also is considering ways of doing that.

Fresno State intends to reduce enrollment by 300 students beginning in January, he said. Possible steps include earlier enrollment deadlines, shorter times for transfer applications, elimination of midyear freshmen admission and perhaps an end to midyear lower-division transfers.

The university also may make it more difficult for students who were dismissed for poor academic performance to win readmission, Vinovrski said, unless they demonstrate changed performance.

Students and parents on campus Friday for orientation for the fall semester appraised the threatened higher fees.

"It means I'm going to have to get a job," said Alisha Garcia, 19, who is transferring from San Francisco State University. "I'll have to balance work and school."

She has been accepted to Fresno State, so the proposal to halt lower-division transfers will not affect her.

Albert Willis, 21, of Stockton is transferring from Delta College and says he may have to end his college education if fees rise too high.

Ayesha Hussain and Manpreet Kaur, both 26, have noticed larger class sizes. They say some nursing sections have 70 students.

"What happens if there are less instructors and more students?" Hussain asked. "I like one-to-one, face-to-face, and the instructors won't have time."

Parents Karen and Stuart Gunter said their daughter, Crystal, is just beginning at Fresno State and will receive scholarship money plus financial aid. If financial support doesn't keep up with rising fees, they said, it could threaten her stay at the university.

Parent Janet Precissi of Stockton, on the other hand, said students and parents must find a way.

"Everybody can't have everything," she said. "The government can't pay everything for everybody. People have to find responsibility."