Classes have barely begun at San Francisco State University, but students are already struggling to keep up with the cost of education. With the CSU Board of Trustees approving a total tuition increase of 23 percent for the fall; 10 percent in November and 12 percent in July, students are now scrambling to make ends meet.
Many have expressed outrage at the Board of Trustees for their decision to raise the tuition in the summer while most students were away on vacation. Now those students have returned to school facing a $6,422 tuition. Students who had already registered for classes and paid their tuition received an email from Robert A. Corrigan, SFSU’s President:
“The California State University Board of Trustees — faced with a state budget that cuts $650 million from the CSU system — voted at their July 12 meeting to increase the student tuition fee. This painful step was considered the only option toward ensuring that the quality of a CSU education — and access to that education — is maintained.”
With $650 million cut from the CSU system, fewer classes are being offered, making it that much more difficult for students to find work that will accommodate their inconsistent schedules. Students like Anthony Pichardo, a History Major who had already registered for classes, are now forced to go looking for work to cover housing, books and other expenses. Pichardo, a senior, has not had to work before, but with the constant tuition increases, he can no longer afford not to.
“I had already registered so it’s hard to find a job now that will accommodate my class schedule,” he said.
On top of having to pay increased tuition, students are still required to buy textbooks that can cost as much as $150 per book. Many have resorted to buying used books online or renting their books from the SFSU Bookstore, which only requires a deposit for the semester.
Unfortunately this does not work out for everyone, and while the bookstore has a great deal of books available for rental, they do not have them all. Adam Luna, a senior and communications major, is struggling to deal with this situation.
“I could not find any of my books at the bookstore to rent,” he said.
Disillusioned, Luna headed to the SFSU Library in hopes of checking out his textbooks for a couple hours to get his assignments done, only to find out that they were unavailable there as well.
Questionable Decisions
Meanwhile, with students facing discouraging supply shortages and surmounting debt, the new San Diego State University President, Elliot Hirshman, has been given a $100,000 raise, bringing his salary to a total of $400,000.
Along with Hirshman, other top administrators have been given pay raises ranging from $250,000 to $935,000; The Board of Trustees stated that the increase in salary is necessary to attract the best candidates.
Karanbir Deol, a junior at SFSU is infuriated by the decision to raise administrator salaries on the backs of students.
“This feels like a giant slap in the face,” Deol said. “Tuition is going up for a [substandard] education and [they’re] getting a raise.”
Students aren’t the only ones expressing outrage over the raises, Gov. Jerry Brown personally wrote a letter to the trustees expressing his concern about the continually escalating salaries and, Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) has filed a bill that would prohibit executive pay increases at the UC and CSU in years when the state does not raise its apportionment to the schools.