By Mark Westphal
mark.westphal708@myci.csuci.edu
On April 20, 2018, California State University (CSU) Chancellor Timothy P. White released a statement to the public saying that the CSU system will not increase tuition next year. White stated that this decision was not made lightly, and that there will be “serious adverse consequences” if the state funding doesn’t meet the CSU’s budgetary needs.
White stated that the reasons that he feels the so-called “non-increase” can work out is the strong state economy, lawmakers’ support of the CSU system and the university community’s activism in raising awareness. According to the Los Angeles Times, White feels in particular that families should not carry the burden of rising costs of tuition.
The message was not just an announcement, but also a call to action to the state’s lawmakers, as White stressed the hashtag #ChooseCSU as a way to show support for a fully funded CSU system.
“We all want students to have the clearest and most life-changing path to graduation,” White stated. “We all want faculty and staff to be fairly compensated. These shared priorities are shared responsibilities for California.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, the CSU system is the largest public university system in the world, and this year the system has been strapped for cash by the current California Budget plan, which as of the time of writing this article has yet to be fully finalized.
White stated that while he has had no assurance from Governor Jerry Brown about whether or not the CSU system will receive more funds than they were initially given, he is confident that lawmakers will pull through for him.
If funding from the state budget fails to meet the CSU system’s financial needs, campuses could see funding for clubs and organizations cut back, and well as some cuts to student services, mostly because increasing tuition is one way universities meet the yearly demand for increasing costs. All students can do is wait anxiously as the budget comes through and see just how much the CSU gets.
