Students for Quality Education held a strike across campus Wednesday to protest against the 34% tuition increase approved by the California State University Board of Trustees last semester.
Protesters were holding signs containing phrases, such as “freeze the fees” and “stop the 34% tuition increase,” and later hosted a few student speakers.
The Board of Trustees met to discuss a tuition increase proposal and officially passed it on Sept. 13. The proposal consisted of raising tuition rates by 6% each year for a collective five years and is set to begin in the fall 2024 semester.
According to the SQE flyers, the CSU has over $8 billion in savings and is using student tuition money to overpay their higher-ups, such as CSU chancellor Mildred Garcia. Garcia makes nearly $1 million a year just from being chancellor.
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“The chancellor is making a million dollars, while we’re sitting here trying to figure out what money we’re going to put in our gas tank,” third-year ethnic studies major William Robey said.
Several students, such as Robey, said they feel that the tuition increase alienates low-income students and goes against Sacramento State’s goal of achieving a diverse community.
“Sacramento State is supposedly one of the most diverse CSUs. This tuition increase is going to do the opposite,” Robey said. “It’s going to push away first-generation college students. It’s going to push away marginalized communities and low-income people.”
Senior sociology major Jazmine Flores said that statistically 53% of students in California face housing insecurity, and 66% face food insecurity. She said it’s an issue that affects all students, regardless of level or financial situation.
“Increasing the tuition is going to increase the barrier for entry, and make education very inaccessible for more underprivileged groups who are most in need of this education,” Flores said.
First-year computer engineering major Asher Franco-Carreno said he feels that higher-ups should not be making as much as they do when there’s minimal money and resources going toward struggling students and faculty.
“There are more student loans that I’m going to have to work the rest of my life to pay off,” Franco-Carreno said. “That’s affecting everyone in general. From lower class to middle class and even upper class.”
Protesters marched from the quad to Sacramento Hall and were asked to drop their flyers at President Luke Wood’s office, in hopes of getting his attention.
“No one asked us if it was okay, no one asked how it would affect us, no one even really told us,” SQE student intern Michael Lee-Chang said about the passing of the tuition increase. “They have the money, not just to not increase tuition, but to give back to students.”
Lee-Chang said he believes there are several areas tuition money could be used for other than paying higher-ups, including our diversity centers, research departments and even student journalism.
“Look around you, where is Luke Wood?” Lee-Chang said. “Where is the University President?”
The university has yet to comment on the protest at the time of publication. Another anti-tuition raises protest is planned to take place on April 24.
Additional reporting by Santana LaTour, Delaney Joyce, Alexander Musa and Jocelyn Hill.
