Schwarzenegger's budget includes proposed college fee hikes

By: MICHELLE LOCKE - Associated Press Writer | Wednesday, January 10, 2007 11:52 PM PST ∞

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Fees could be going up for California's public university students under the budget proposed Wednesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The hikes are part of a long-term funding agreement between the governor and leaders of the state's two university systems, the University of California and California State University.

Last year, after four straight years of increases, the governor proposed putting in extra money to "buy out" fee increase, which legislators subsequently approved. Schwarzenegger's proposed budget for the 2007-08 fiscal year includes no such bonus.

UC regents and CSU trustees have not voted on any fee increases, which could yet be bought out by the governor or legislators. Both boards are expected to take up the issue in March.

The governor's budget calls for a roughly 7 percent increase for undergraduates at UC, an increase of about $435. UC's systemwide fee is now $6,141, with the average total about $6,802 including miscellaneous campus fees.

An additional $60 surcharge is expected to be assessed on all UC students to recover losses from a previous lawsuit challenging professional school fee hikes, bringing the total hike to $495 for undergrads. Meanwhile, some UC professional school fees could rise by 10 percent.

At the 23-campus CSU, undergraduate fees could rise 10 percent to $2,772. Annual miscellaneous campus fees now total about $679.

University leaders noted the proposal lives up to the terms of their funding agreement with the governor, containing money for enrollment growth -- 11,000 new students at CSU and 5,000 at UC -- as well as faculty and staff salary increases.

CSU's budget would go to $4.3 billion, including $1.3 billion from student fee revenue. UC's state-funded operating budget would increase 6.2 percent to nearly $3.3 billion.

UC President Robert C. Dynes said in a statement the budget "does not include everything we might wish for" but said administrators are grateful for support on priorities such as enrollment and research.

He said officials will seek reinstatement of about $19 million in state funding for academic preparation -- programs aimed at disadvantaged K-12 students -- and will need to give "very careful consideration" to student fees.

The budget proposal also cuts $7 million in academic preparation funding for CSU. Chancellor Charles B. Reed said officials will renew their efforts to demonstrate the "overwhelming benefit" of the programs.

The fee hike proposals disappointed students.

"It just seems like when the budget's in a bad year, it's convenient to increase fees," said Bill Shiebler, president of the University of California Student Association and a student at UC Santa Barbara. "It's really just letting down families and future students in our state."

Schwarzenegger budget officials noted that even with the fee increases, UC and CSU fees would still be lower than many other states. For example, fees at institutions comparable to UC average $8,354, according to figures from the governor's proposal.

But Shiebler said that while fees may be relatively low, the cost of living in many parts of California is higher than elsewhere in the nation, boosting total college costs.

Legislators now consider the governor's proposal, and a final budget will be adopted this summer.

On the Net:

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu

http://www.calstate.edu

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