Students Protest Cal State Tuition Hike

NBC-11, San Jose, 5/10/07

Dozens of California State University students rallied outside Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office on Wednesday to protest a 10 percent fee hike that will raise their tuition by $250 this summer.

The protestors included students like Lili Marquez, a senior at CSU East Bay.

Marquez said she works two jobs to stay in school. "You know, it's not only my tuition," Marquez said. "My books -- easily I come up with $400 a quarter in books."

Marquez said she pays about $1,000 in tuition and has other expenses -- like rent. And she's not alone. Cal Poly Pomona student Simone Dorsey has three jobs.

"I'm about $25,000 in debt, and I'm only 18," Dorsey said.

The protestors brought thousands of letters from other students to ask the legislature to absorb their tuition increase into the state budget. That would cost an estimated $65 million. While the students were passionate in their protest, they face a harsh fiscal reality, NBC11 reported.

State revenues are down, and California is looking at significant budget cuts.