FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                       PRESS STATEMENT

July 11, 2023

Contact: Miya Haley

Media Relations Manager

Email: mshaley@calstate.edu

CAL STATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION OPPOSES THE PROPOSED 6% TUITION INCREASE

 

Long Beach, CA – The California State Student Association (CSSA) acknowledges the weight of fiscal responsibility and the necessity of providing access to education for all students. As the representative voice of the students, we express deep concern over the proposed 6% tuition increase by California State University (CSU), the nation’s largest and most diverse university system.

Despite understanding the university’s need to address revenue challenges, we believe the proposal does not serve the best interest of students, particularly considering the current financial strain and declining enrollment. The suggested increase is considerably higher than the average Higher Education Price Index of the past three years (3.25%), and it threatens to burden students, especially those struggling with the pandemic aftermath and escalating living costs. The proposal lacks measurable outcomes, a clear termination date, and fails to articulate plans for generating other revenue sources.

The CSSA is also troubled by the proposal’s disregard for students’ total cost of attendance beyond tuition and fees and its neglect of financial aid and basic needs. Approximately 60% of CSU students depend heavily on financial aid, making an all-encompassing Cal Grant Reform critical. We urge the institution and students to lobby for the inclusion of this reform in the upcoming state budget. The proposal’s indifference to providing resources for essential needs like food, housing, and healthcare contradicts its mission to serve students.

Concerns also extend to the potential future shortfall of the Pell Grant, which supports nearly half of the system’s undergraduates. By 2028, the proposed tuition increase is projected to exceed the Pell Grant’s financial support, exacerbating the financial burden on our most vulnerable students.

The CSSA firmly opposes the indefinite tuition increase proposal set for discussion at the forthcoming Committee on Finance meeting. We strongly urge the CSU to reconsider this proposal and account for our highlighted concerns.

We remain committed to maintaining a dialogue with the Chancellor’s Office and the Board to address these issues. Together, we believe we can navigate these challenges, uphold our shared values, and secure a prosperous future for all CSU students.

 

 

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The following statement can be attributed to CSSA President Dominic Quan Treseler​​:

“The Cal State Student Association expresses deep disappointment in the Supreme Court’s decision against student loan forgiveness. We believe that this decision overlooks the crippling impact of student debt on millions of graduates and the wider implications it has on the socioeconomic fabric of our society. Despite this setback, CSSA remains steadfast in our commitment to advocate for accessible and affordable higher education. This decision does not mark the end of our efforts; rather, it fuels our determination to push for systemic changes that will lead to a more equitable education system. We will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of our students to seek remedies for the student debt crisis.”

The following statement can be attributed to CSU Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester:

“We sympathize with the many college graduates across the country who are pained by the decision reached by the Supreme Court today. We recognize the financial relief a different decision would have yielded and affirm our longstanding commitment to providing an accessible, affordable, high-quality education. Additionally, the CSU will continue to advocate for effective federal measures such as doubling the Pell Grant, which would mean fewer students taking on debt and graduates entering the workforce on solid financial footing.”​

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While we are deeply disappointed in the court’s decision, CSSA remains committed to supporting and advocating for all of our students. We stand with our DACA students and will continue to advocate for the needed resources to support their pursuit of their academic goals.

We urge Congress and the Biden Administration to take legislative action that will provide permanent protections for DACA recipients and their families and identify a pathway to citizenship.

We acknowledge that this is a difficult and uncertain time for many in our CSU community. Our campuses offer a number of resources to support students during this time.

Support for undocumented students: https://www.calstate.edu/attend/student-services/resources-for-undocumented-students

Mental Health and Wellness Resources: https://www.calstate.edu/attend/student-services/Pages/mental-health-services.aspx

Krishan Malhotra
Cal State Student Association President

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Priority 1

Address the Total Cost of Attendance for CSU Students

Priority 2

Ensure students have access to high quality wellness and mental health support services

Priority 3

Ensure the academic success and holistic educational experience of all CSU students

Priority 4

Ensure students are regarded as equal stakeholders within the CSU
community

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This past week, a federal judge halted new applications for DACA, once again bringing such a critical program into question and causing uncertainty for many of our students and their families. For students whose identities have been politicized, this ruling is representative of the ongoing barriers they must face to actualize a dream readily available to others. As an organization firmly grounded in educational equity and social justice for our students, CSSA stands with our DACA students and will continue to advocate for the needed resources to ensure their holistic support.

CSSA urges federal lawmakers to take proactive and needed action to protect undocumented students while simultaneously working towards providing them a pathway to citizenship.

To learn more about resources that the CSU provides for undocumented students, please visit: https://www2.calstate.edu/attend/student-services/resources-for-undocumented-students

Isaac Alferos
Cal State Student Association President

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Throughout the summer and fall of 2020, college students from across the state of California competed in the Secretary of State’s Ballot Bowl. The Ballot Bowl is a friendly competition hosted by the California Students Vote Project, where all major institutions of higher education in California—including the California Community College (CCC), California State University (CSU), University of California (UC), the Association of Independent Cal­ifornia Colleges and Universities (AICCU) systems are invited to compete to register the most students to vote.

The 2020 Ballot Bowl resulted in 82,000 college students being registered to vote. CSSA is proud of each of the 23 CSU campuses for their participation and work to register students to vote. CSU was the first system in the history of the Ballot Bowl to have every campus in their respective system to participate in the competition.

CSSA was excited to hear that one of our CSU campuses won the competition. “CSU students have proved again and again their dedication to civic engagement and voter registration,” said CSSA President Zahraa Khuraibet. “All 23 of CSU campuses made unprecedented strides in registering students to vote in preparation for the 2020 general election, and as part of the Secretary of State’s Ballot Bowl competition. After Cal Poly San Luis Obispo took home the grand prize in 2018, we are so proud to see another campus, CSU Fullerton, win the 2020 Ballot Bowl! Congratulations to all of the students at CSU Fullerton, and across the state, on what you’ve accomplished.”

In December Secretary Alex Padilla announced California State University, Fullerton registered the most students of any institution with over 2,700 students registered! The following campuses also won in other categories of the Ballot Bowl:

The campus with the largest number of students registered:

• UC: UC San Diego
• CSU: CSU Long Beach*
• CCC: Chabot College
• AICCU: University of San Francisco

The campus with the largest percentage of its student body registered:

• UC: UC Riverside
• CSU: CSU Chico
• CCC: Riverside City College*
• AICCU: Fresno Pacific University

The campus with the most creative approach to registering students:

• UC: UC Berkeley
• CSU: CSU San Bernardino
• CCC: Santa Ana College
• AICCU: Mount Saint Mary’s University

The most voter registrations at an on-campus voting location:

• UC: UC Los Angeles
• CSU: CSU Northridge
• CCC: Golden West College
• AICCU: University of Redlands

*In the spirit of camaraderie, each school could only win one prize. The asterisked schools finished second to a school that won in a separate category.

“Now more than ever, our college students and young people need to get involved in civic engagement.” said Marcus Reveles, ASI President at CSUF. “It’s how we impact change for the good of our communities and campuses.” And a majority of young voters agreed with these sentiments as 67.4% of eligible youth voters turned out to vote in California, 10.1% higher than the turnout in 2016.

For the first time ever, an awards ceremony was held to honor the seventeen 2020 Ballot Bowl winners (including the champion CSU Fullerton), as well as partners throughout the state. This event featured a keynote from Secretary Weber, and congratulatory messages from California’s elected officials.

 

Congratulations to all the winners and participants. This is a competition where everyone really wins because engagement in civics is a major way to impact change as Marcus Reveles stated. We would also like to thank everyone who participated in civic conversations and debates regardless of their eligibility to register or vote.

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Cal State Student Association Vice President of Legislative Affairs Guan Liu’s statement:

“Good morning. My name is Guan Liu and I serve as Vice President of Legislative Affairs for the California State Student Association, which represents the nearly half a million students in the California State University system.

CSU students know that higher education is a socioeconomic escalator, but access has increasingly become more difficult due to the rise in total cost. The Biden administration and the new 117th Congress has the power and obligation to ensure higher education is a reality for all Americans who seek it because cost should never be a barrier to the American dream.

Pell Grants are usually awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and unlike a loan, it does not need to be paid back. Research shows that it is an effective way to increase both college access and graduation rates. For the CSU–the nation’s largest four-year public university system–this is especially true. Nearly 230,000 of our students rely on need-based Pell Grants, making up almost half of the CSU student population. Each year, more than 63,000 Pell recipients earn CSU bachelor’s degrees and contribute to the American economy. Many are first-generation students, who were it not for federal financial aid may have been unable to graduate in a timely manner.

At the CSU, 42% of our student population experiences food insecurity, and 11% of our students are homeless. While the cost of higher education has risen over the years, the maximum award for Pell Grants has not. By doubling the Pell Grant, we could help our lowest-income students pay for their total cost of attendance, helping them graduate without high amounts of debt.

Given the economic uncertainty in California, it is likely that costs of higher education will increase in the coming years. Congress and President Biden’s administration must make bold investments in the future of our nation–our students. Now, more than ever, we must Double the Pell.”

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