The California State University Board of Trustees approved a two-step tuition increase needed to sustain enrollment, classes and services for current students.

On Tuesday, Nov. 9, the Trustees Committee on Finance adopted a proposal for a mid-year increase of five percent – or $105 – going into effect Jan. 1, for the 2011 winter/spring terms. In addition, the committee adopted a 10 percent – $444 – increase for the 2011-12 academic year beginning July 1.

However, due to financial aid, an estimated 180,000 students – approximately half of all CSU undergrads – will be fully covered for the tuition increases. Additionally, tens of thousands of students not fully covered by financial aid will also benefit from newly expanded federal tax credits available for family incomes of up to $180,000.

“While we appreciate the funding that we did receive in this year’s budget, the reality is our state support is roughly the same as it was five years ago and we have 25,000 more students,” said Dr. Benjamin F. Quillian, CSU executive vice chancellor for business and finance. (From 1993 to 2003, Quillian was vice president for administration and chief financial officer at California State University, Fresno.)

“In addition, part of the funding we received – $106 million – was one-time federal stimulus money that is being used at the state’s direction to admit 30,000 more students,” added Quillian. “These students will be on our campuses long after this one-time funding has been exhausted, and we have to ensure that we have the ongoing resources to support them.”

The CSU plans to ask incoming Gov. Brown and the Legislature to include the state funding needed to “buy out” the proposed 2011-12 tuition increase, so it can be rescinded.

Fresno State is part of the 23-campus California State University.

For more details, visit http://www.calstate.edu/pa/News/2010/release/TwoStepTuition11.9.10.shtml

For details of the 2011-12 budget adopted Nov. 10 by CSU trustees, visithttp://www.calstate.edu/pa/News/2010/release/SupportBudget2011_11.10.10.shtml.