The days of unexpected fee increases may soon be at an end.
California Senate Bill 969, also known as the California College and University Fee Stabilization Act of 2010, would put an end to large fee increases and cap the amount students are required to pay for education.
If passed, the bill would cap a student’s fees to what they paid upon their first semester enrolled in a degree program, according to the bill. Fee increases would not be greater than 5 percent for a new incoming class.
Under the bill, the California State University system could not hold students responsible for more than 30 percent of the average cost of education for the year, but it does not guarantee the state will fund the remaining 70 percent, said Claudia Keith, assistant vice chancellor for public affairs for the CSU.
“A requirement for the same fee from year to year for students does not recognize the reductions in the state’s funding support for the CSU,” Keith said in an e-mail.
The bill would not limit increases on fees charged by the Associated Students at Chico State, which are voted on by the student population, said Joyce Friedman, A.S. director of Financial Services.
While the bill looks promising for students, Friedman thinks it will have to be further revised before it could be passed, she said.
The bill could be helpful for students and parents who are trying to plan for education costs, said sophomore Addison Larios, a criminal justice major. His parents based his fall 2009 fees on spring fees and were forced to take out more loans when fees increased.
“It sounds good for the students but it seems like it would be harder on budgets,” he said.
The bill could make it difficult for the CSU system to raise necessary funds in crisis situations, Larios said. He wants to learn more about the bill before deciding whether to support it.