The Cal State University and University of California will not be able to charge increased campus mandatory fees until six months after their adoption. That is, if the California Legislature approves Assembly Bill 970, which would also mandate a public review process before mandatory fees are adopted.
UCs and CSUs charge both tuition and fees. Although tuition is uniform among all UC and CSU campuses, respectively, each campus charges different fees.
AB 970 also keeps with existing policy, mandating that 33 percent of revenue from student fees be set aside for institutional student aid.
“The whole goal for this bill would be to provide accountability and predictability with student fees and allow students and the public to know exactly where these fees would be going,” California State Student Association President Gregory Washington said.
More specifically, AB 970 would require the Regents of the UC and the CSU Board of Trustees to notify student representatives of a fee increase at least 90 days before its proposal and allow a 60-day comment period before any fee increase can be implemented.
During this period, the UCs and CSUs would encourage and solicit public comment on any proposed increases. These comments and their responses would then be made public 10 days before the institutions consider the fee increases at their respective meetings.
The bill was passed in the Assembly with bipartisan support but still needs approval in the Senate.
“[AB 970] may go back to the assembly if there are a lot of changes made to it,” said Olgalilia Ramirez, director of government relations of CSSA. “So we probably have about six more months of jumping through hoops.”
In the CSU system, a campus president may request specific mandatory fees but the CSU Chancellor must approve them.
Last year, CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed by the request of Cal State Long Beach President F. King Alexander approved a $95 increase in campus mandatory fees.
The average CSU campus charges $1,047 in campus mandatory fees on top annual tuition. CSULB charges $768 in campus mandatory fees.
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