- Video shows students on CSUB campus and statistics on the tuition plan's impacts
- The CSU board of trustees passed a multi-year tuition increase plan in September, and now students at California State University Bakersfield are expressing concerns about the impacts.
Last month the California State University board of trustees voted to increase tuition annually for five years by 6%.
Now, students and faculty at Cal State Bakersfield are navigating their next steps after this monumental decision.
CSUB student, Minaya Valentine says she felt heart break, not just for her but for future students, after hearing the CSU board of trustees approved a multi-year tuition increase.
“I hope it doesn’t take a lack of enrollment for the board of trustees to reconsider what they’ve done,” Valentine said.
One of the CSU board members, Raji Brar, attended school at CSUB.
Brar voted in favor of the tuition increase but also voted to reevaluate the plan after 3 years instead of 5.
That proposal was struck down, but it was her vote for the increase that left students like Valentine frustrated after opening up to Brar about their concerns.
“She had said she understands where we’re coming from." Valentine recalled. "She attended school here, and she understands the struggles, but her actions were really different because she voted yes.”
In a statement to 23ABC, Brar says in part quote “As a first generation college graduate and product of the CSU, I voted in favor of the multi-year tuition increase because I understand how crucial the CSU system is in changing the trajectory of a student's life…I met with students to hear their concerns, and I understand the pressures they face. As a student at CSUB, I had to take out student loans and work two jobs to make ends meet. With this tuition increase, students with the most need will see an increase in their financial aid and more resources will be made available to students.”
Some of those resources include additional funding for the state university grant which will increase by 33% to benefit low income students.
“The state university grant award and the Cal grant award, if you’re getting those right now, there’s a good chance you’ll get them in the future and they will cover this increase,” Chad Morris, the director of financial aid and scholarships at CSUB said.
Valentine expressed concern for the middle income students.
Those students could receive additional aid from the state with the middle class scholarship, but Valentine would like to see more accessibility within the state university grant.
“That should be a 30% increase of possibility for students to receive more grants as a whole because I honestly don’t see the logic behind giving more money to something and it not being used or benefiting the students,” Valentine said.
The tuition increase proposal will take effect in fall 2024 and the board will reevaluate the rate increase every five years.
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