Another tuition increase is on the way for California State University students unless the state finds the university a lot more money in next year’s budget.
Lawmakers gave the university quite the budget cut this year: 650 million dollars. That led to an extra tuition increase. So in lobbying for next year’s budget, Chancellor Charlie Reed is taking a “carrot-and-stick” approach. The stick comes this week, when trustees vote on a nine percent tuition increase for next fall. But Reed’s also dangling that carrot.
“We won’t have to increase tuition for the fall if the state provides adequate funding in next year’s budget," Reed said.
He’s asking the state to buy out that increase by restoring 138 million dollars.
Meantime, it looks like this year’s budget could give the CSU another 100-million-dollar “trigger” cut because state revenues are coming in well below projections. If so, Reed says the university will pretty much empty its reserves to avoid raising fees mid-year.
