SACRAMENTO, California — Going back to school could be getting more expensive for Sacramento State University students with a proposed increase for some mandatory student fees in the works.
According to the university’s presentation, the entire fee proposal could come to an increase of about $500 per student. The university said they are doing this now while students have the time to give input, but also so high school seniors who apply know how much Sacramento State will cost.
The university said this will make Sacramento State more competitive with the other CSUs. Also, a majority of fees haven’t been raised since the 1980s, and they’re dealing with budget cuts from the state.
On Monday, in the forum, students asked many questions and shared their opinions. Aleks, a second year, shared his opinion.
“It is kind of laughable in my opinion,” Aleks said.
Right now, students pay $967 per semester in mandatory campus fees.
This proposal would increase fees for:
Student Health: to improve counseling to reduce wait times by adding 3 to 5 counselors, add hours on weekends and holidays and funding to continue in-house sexually transmitted infection testing. They would also like to look at a new x-ray machine, due to theirs being 15 years old.
Instructional Related Activities: things like Cultural Academic Resource Centers for more staffing and expanded hours. The university said this is a priority since they are the fourth most diverse campus in the west.
Recreational Sports: more staff, new facilities and reduce student athletes out of pocket expenses. The university said if this fee was approved students would be given access to NCAA facilities in return for paying.
Many students took issue paying for sports they don’t participate in.
A university representative was there to address this concern with the following comment: “Yes, often times you do pay for services you don’t use necessarily receive or be a part of. I think, if you look at what we are trying to do here on this campus to increase the culture, support, spirit across campus, that one way we are looking at is how to get more students involved.”
In comparison against the 23 other CSU campus's Sacramento State’s fees fall square in the middle. 11 campuses pay more and 11 pay less.
Rielly Jones is a second-year engineering student that had questions about the fees.
“Necessarily having more money doesn’t create better education at all times. I feel like it’s the educators. It's already so expensive and struggles with students graduating and not being able to afford housing,” Jones said.
These proposed fee increases are coming as the California State University (CSU) is increasing tuition this year by 6% and for the collective five years. Students are paying $342 more this semester.
In five years, tuition will go from $6,084 to $7,682.
“The chancellor is getting like over a million dollars a year with their salaries, so there are other places to get these fees and funding. It’s just not fair to students,” Aleks said.
Sacramento State University President Luke Wood they are in a unique and critical budget situation. There is a state-wide budget deficit and the university has fees that haven't been raised in 30 years. That's combine with the costs of operating in California and economic resources needed after bargaining with unions.
President Wood said he also participated in over 100 listening sessions with students and is now taking some of those items to students with these proposals.
Wood said they also did a sensitivity analysis that took into account the tuition increase, and it determined that they could go up $750 a semester without impacting low-income and financial assistance students. He said they are asking for about $500 .
In response to students hesitating to pay more of athletics, President Wood said they look at athletics different than other campuses because the funding is for all types of student athletics, including recreation and intramural. He added that student athletics was also where the university raises the most scholarship money and the most money for student needs. It also helps significantly with recruitment.
After all the forums, the student fee advisory committee will give their recommendations to the president. Any fee change would take effect in the fall of 2025.
If you missed today’s opportunity to join there will be more hybrid forums:
- Tuesday, August 13, 1:00-2:30 pm in University Union, Cottonwood Suites I & II. Tuesday Forum Zoom Session A
- Tuesday, August 13, 6:00-7:30 pm in University Union, Cottonwood Suites I & II. Tuesday Forum Zoom Session B
- Wednesday, August 14, 1:00-2:30 pm in University Union, Forest Suite. Wednesday Forum Zoom Session
Town Hall:
- Thursday, August 15, 1:00-2:30 pm in University Union, Pacific Suite. Town Hall Zoom Session
The first day of school is Aug. 26.
WATCH ALSO:
