A woman holds a sign during a protest outside the California State University chancellor’s office, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, in Long Beach, Calif. The CSU Board of Trustees is considering a 6% tuition increase beginning in fall of 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)
The cost of attending California State University schools is about to go up.
The CSU Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a proposal to increase tuition by 6% annually for the next five years.
The proposal calls for undergraduate tuition at CSU schools to increase from $5,742 to $6,084 in the 2024-25 school year, then increase to $6,450 the following year, $6,840 in 2026-27, $7,248 in 2027-28 and $7,682 by 2028-29.
The board’s finance committee unanimously approved the tuition hike earlier in the day.
Administrators say the CSU system needs to address a $1.5 billion budget gap to cover existing programs and services. Like in all sectors, inflation has driven up costs.
Tuition hasn’t been increased at CSU’s 23 campuses in more than a decade. While unwelcomed, administrators say the hike is necessary.
“There is a time when it becomes an undeniable imperative. That time is now,” said Jolene Koester, CSU interim chancellor at a meeting of the board on Tuesday.
The proposal was met by fierce backlash and protests from students who argue that the state’s most affordable option for higher education is becoming less so.
“I don’t come from money,” Marcia Moran told KTLA. “I come from a working-class family – a family of immigrants, and it took a lot of [money] to even get through my undergrad.”
This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA for updates.
