By: Carlos Yakimowich and Anthony Orrico
California State University’s new tuition increase will rise 6% yearly for the next five years, starting in the fall of the 2024–25 school year for all 23 CSU campuses. This was set in stone after the CSU Board of Trustees voted on the tuition increase on Sept. 13, despite many CSU students opposing it.
Under the Multi-Year Tuition Proposal, CSU’s tuition fees are set to increase from $5,742 in the current 2023–24 academic year to $6,450 by 2025–26 for undergraduates with 6.1+ units. They could reach as much as $7,682 in 2028–29. Unit costs at all CSUs will gradually increase from $319 in 2023–24 to $426 by 2028–29.
“We understand the increase may be difficult for students, but it was necessary to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the university and to continue our educational mission,” CSU spokesperson Hazel Kelly said via email.
According to Kelly, the increase was decided by a workgroup created by CSU interim chancellor Jolene Koester in 2022. The workgroup presented a report called the Sustainable Financial Model Workgroup Report May 2023 to the Board of Trustees that showed a $1.5 billion funding gap between the CSU’s revenue and its costs. The group recommended the trustees consider a tuition increase to help close this gap.
Data from the CSU’s Financial Aid Database indicates that 60% of enrolled undergraduate students have full tuition costs covered by grants, scholarships, waivers or non-loan aid, such as the CalGrant and CSU’s State University Grant (SUG).
Even after the increase, CSU continues to stand out as one of the nation’s most affordable options for a four-year degree. According to the Education Data Initiative, the national average cost of in-state tuition and fees for a four-year public university was $9,678 per year in 2023.
The CSU also understands that tuition only makes up part of the total cost of attendance and has convened a Financial Aid Workgroup to explore ways to expand the university’s financial aid structure to look more holistically at the total cost of attendance. This would include things like the cost of living in an effort to provide increased support for students.
The CSU has also committed to putting one-third of the revenue from the tuition increase back into its State University Grant program, which helps students with the greatest financial need.
According to Nicholas Novello, Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships at CSULB, the state of California will increase financial aid and grant support to match the rise in tuition.
“The state has indicated that students who are eligible for these programs will continue to see these award levels matched to their tuition charges,” Novello said.
Across all CSU campuses, 80% of students received some form of aid. According to Novello, just under 50% of students pay for some of their tuition out of their own pocket.
As tuition is poised to increase, students at Long Beach State will also face a rise in student fees. Beginning in 2025, the Future U Project will increase semester fees by $255, totaling an annual increase of $950. This initiative aims to revamp Student Union buildings, enhance food services and provide additional student lounge space.
Fees are largely used to pay for maintenance on the student union as well as paying staff, according to Associated Students, Inc. The increase in this fee will go towards the $302.6 million student union renovation, which if approved, would begin in 2026.
Other fees increasing over the next few years will be the activities fee which was $65 for the fall 2023 semester and will be $89 for the spring 2024 semester. Neither the athletics fee nor the student union fee were passed through a student referendum.