CSU students hit with tuition hike

Starting in the fall of 2024 tuition will increase by 6 percent each year for the next five years

By Star Eisenberg, Staff Writer

Students walk on the campus of California State University Northridge near Manzanita Hall. (Ivonne Elias | Valley Star)

California State University leaders approved a proposal that will increase tuition by 6 percent every year for the next five years starting in fall 2024.

“It comes at the expense of the student body to make up for the CSU’s deficit,” said Cal State Long Beach official Anthony Regina prior to the decision.

Tuition across the 23 campuses will jump from $5,742 to $6,084 in the first year and reach $7,682 by the 2028-2029 academic year. The tuition increase comes amid a $1.5 billion budget deficit related to high-cost classes, inflation, declining enrollments and other factors.

“It’s already challenging enough for students to have to deal with tuition while they’re here,” said Sable Thomas, a first-year nursing major at Valley College. “We have to consider the hardship that it’s going to place on students who are already in school or are considering school.”

The California State University is the country’s largest four-year public university and primarily relies on two revenue streams: state funding and tuition.

According to a statement on CSU’s website regarding the tuition increase, “Simply put, the CSU requires additional resources to continue to provide its students with an accessible, high-quality education that prepares its graduates for success in California’s fast-evolving workforce.”

Since 2011, tuition at CSU increased once in 2017 by 5 percent to $5,742. The system argues that tuition is the only major revenue source that it controls to generate more revenue and that the tuition increase is needed to narrow the budget deficit.

“I will be the first child in the family to graduate from college or university, and my parents would do anything to make sure I get through it,” said Angel Chiawa, a second-year nursing major at Valley. “The tuition increase would be hard for them because they'll have to work extra days and miss family events.”

The proposal includes a reassessment plan after five years.

“People should have equal opportunity to learn and get into the career field that they want, and they shouldn't have to pay exuberant amounts of money to do that,” said Sami Keil, a second-year musical theater major at Valley who plans on transferring to Cal State Fullerton. “It's a little scary because it's a lot more saving and planning that I have to do.”

Details about the approved multi-year tuition proposal can be found at California State University webpage.