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Education

Student Success Fees Debated in Sacramento

Student Success Fees Debated in Sacramento
California legislators are proposing to spend another $100 million on the California State University system – but only if the schools agree to a moratorium on the so-called “student success fees.”

California legislators are proposing to spend another $100 million on the California State University system – but only if the schools agree to a moratorium on the so-called “student success fees.”

The controversial fees are intended to raise money to hire tenured professors and update classrooms. Several campuses have begun charging them to make up for state budget cuts.

Critics say it is a way of getting around a tuition freeze imposed by Gov. Jerry Brown, placing the burden squarely on already debt-strapped students. But the schools charging them say it is the only way to deliver a quality education in the face of an enormous budget shortfall.

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Part of the controversy comes from the fact that — in San Diego State University’s case at least — the fees were decided by an “alternative consult process” decided by a campus committee rather than a direct vote of the students.

“There’s definitely room for improvement in the fee and in the process,” said Meredith Turner, who is director of governmental relations for the California State Student’s Association, or CSSA.

“I think that our board would be generally supportive of taking a step back and having a temporary moratorium in place," said Turner, "if these fees are going to continue." She added that they would continue to discuss the fee process.

San Diego State’s student success fees are to be implemented in the fall semester. San Jose State University recently rolled back its fees after students discovered that the school had spent a large portion of its success fees on athletic programs.