Fresno state students have paid up for the fall semester... Or so they thought. Thanks to the state budget that was passed yesterday, they now owe another 12%.
CSU spokesperson Mike Uhlenkamp said, "the fact is that with higher education, the funding is discretionary. So we're one of the few groups in the budget where you can cut."
So far, $650 million has been authorized in cuts to the CSU system.
That means an additional $294 per semester for students. Fresno State's student body president Selena Farnesi says the increases will really impact middle class students. They don't get those need-based grants or scholarships. "They're coming into a college system that's expensive, more expensive than when some of us started, and that looks like it's going to continue to be more expensive."
There could be another $100 million in cuts on the way. That depends on the outcome of an upcoming CSU board meeting. It could mean even more fee increases for students. In a budget update on Youtube, Fresno State president Dr. John Welty says the school will now have to accommodate the state's budget yet again. In addition to fee increases, the school is also looking at staff reductions, many through attrition.
"It signals that the state is disinvesting in higher education in the future, and as a result, we face a very difficult year."
TXT 24
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