California State University trustees are considering hiking tuition over the next five years.
The increases won’t affect the majority of students because of grants or waivers, but the impact will still be felt by many in the nation's largest public university system.
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WATCH HEREThe proposal before CSU trustees is for a 6% tuition increase over five years beginning in fall 2024. That would mean $342 more per year for a total increase of just under $2,000 by 2029.
If approved, it would be only the second tuition increase in 12 years for CSU, and the system's chief financial officer says trustees have to consider it because it costs more to run the 23-school system than the revenue it brings in.
That funding gap is currently at $1.5 billion, CSU says.
The proposed tuition increase would generate $840 million over five years, but opponents say it comes at a big cost to CSU students.
"It'd be a lot of stress on the students, and a lot of stress on the students’ parents," a San Jose State sophomore named Bella said.
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SJSU professor Greg Woods added: "Unfortunately, by continuing to saddle more students with financial burden, we are making it more difficult to achieve this particular objective of improving oneself and educating oneself."
On average, CSU tuition is $5,700 per year for an undergraduate student. By comparison, tuition in the University of California system is more than $14,000. Neither of those figures includes housing.
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SIGN UP Though CSU professors are fighting for a pay raise, their union opposes the tuition increase.
Students say they will protest at the trustees meeting in Long Beach on Wednesday and Thursday.
