Can we get a big round of applause for the California State University Board of Trustees.

They have just passed a vote that will increase undergraduate and credential student’s tuition by 8 percent.

If you’re a graduate student you are looking at an increase of 10 percent next fall. Uh, not cool. It gets better though folks, we will have an additional increase the following year, no vote on that, it is already done. Ha, I’ll be gone by then but many of you will be pinching your pennies even more than before.

It’s part of this higher education compact deal that was made with the governor last May. “It calls for the CSU to develop its annual budget plan based on the assumption that undergraduate student fees will increase by 14 percent for 2004-05, and by 8 percent each for 2005-06 and 2006-07,” according to a summary of the October 28, 2004, Board of Trustees meeting. (http://www.calstate.edu/pa/news/2004/BOT1004.shtml)

I found it interesting in this summary report that Murray L. Galinson, chairman of the board, was very sympathetic to our needs and urged us to spur change. “I strongly suggest that we all work together, faculty, students, trustees and the administration, to show the governor and the legislators that the needs of the CSU system are much greater than what this budget reflects,” Galinson said in the summary.

Makes you feel like the guy was pulling for us.

That he knows that continual increase in tuition will close the door for many students who are barely making it now, and who will possibly not be making it to class at all in two years. As I continued to read down the summary it eventually gets to the goods — in this case the actual score of the vote that was 15-3. Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, Trustee Ricardo F. Icaza and student Trustee Eric Guerra, according to the summary report, made the three dissenting votes. Notice anything? Mr. Galinson voted for the increase. Well, so he’s sort of on our side, just not enough to vote against the increase. Who am I though? Maybe he does care about the next generation’s educational future.

Basically this increase is a six-year plan, and all I can say is get the hell out as soon as possible. Pray you get that big fancy job so you can pay off all your financial aid and then pray that tuition at a state school isn’t so ridiculous by the time you have kids that college will still be in the reach of the average Californian.

The summary said the tuition increase is set to counteract some of the negative effects the university system suffered because of the ugly state budget crisis — to the tune of $500 million. It makes allowances to increase enrollment in the next few years, better technology and also to allow the university to pay employees competitive wages they themselves need in order to get by.

I don’t know. I feel there must be something else that can be done. Money has to come from somewhere, I’m not ignorant to that, we all feel this when we pay things like rent and uh, tuition. I would urge all students to read the summary report, and look into ways to fight back and defend an affordable education. Maybe Mr. Galinson is right — the students need to get out there and show the governor that we have educational needs and we need the states help in affording these costs. Our states future is dependent on educated people joining the work force to push the economy upwards.

If everyone becomes part of the bracket of that “I can’t afford education” group then I think it says sad things about the future of the great state of California.