June 29, 2011 (Sacramento) -- Last week, the Senate Education Committee approved three bills authored by Assembly Higher Education Chair Marty Block (AD-78) aimed at improving the student experience at California’s public colleges and universities. This series of bills includes AB 620 aimed at creating safe college campus environments for LGBT students,AB 670 to establish clear appeals procedures for California State University (CSU) admissions decisions, and AB 743that creates a system-wide assessment tool to better place community college students.

"Increasing the cost of attending a CSU or UC translates to more money from the pockets of students already struggling with multiple jobs and heavy class loads.” -- Assemblyman Marty Block (D-Lemon Grove)

By Miriam Raftery

November 10, 2010 (Sacramento) - California State University trustees today approved a two-step tuition increase that will raise fees by 15.5 percent over the next year. Tuition for students at CSU's 23 campuses, including San Diego State University and CSU San Marcos, will rise 5 percent in January and another 10 percent in the fall, a total of $4,884. Average fees at each campus add an additional $950--for a whopping $5,834 total hike that students must pay.

Bill to limit fee increase to be heard Monday in Legislature

By Miriam Raftery

June 18, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The California State University Board of Trustees today voted to raise CSU fees by 5% for undergraduates and graduate students and by 10% for doctoral education students. For full-time undergraduates, that amounts to a $204 annual increase—bringing total CSU fees to $4,230 starting in fall 2010.

Gavin Newsom, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, called the hikes “unacceptable” and noted that CSU has raised fees seven times in eight years—including a 32% hike last year alone.

“That cost is pricing very many would-be students out of the chances of getting a college education,” said Pat Washington, an instructor at San Diego State University and a leader with California Communities Unitied Institute.