SSU Students, Faculty and Staff:
Today, Chancellor Charles Reed sent an electronic message to all California State University employees. A portion of that message focused on student fees. Earlier this week, the California State University Board of Trustees reluctantly voted to increase student fees by 10% for the 2009-2010 academic year.
As Chancellor Reed states below, this was a difficult choice for the system to make—but also a necessary one. The portion of Chancellor Reed’s letter referencing fees is below:
“The CSU has implemented several cost-savings measures to protect our students, faculty and staff, and to preserve the quality of our universities. This week, the CSU Board of Trustees took another action to mitigate our budget shortfall.
The Trustees voted to increase student fees for the 2009-10 academic year. The student fee increase was included as part of the 2009-10 budget adopted by the legislature and the governor.
It is always a difficult choice to raise fees and it is a decision that the Trustees and I contemplated very carefully, understanding that there are consequences to our students. But we are in a dire budget situation that requires us to look at all the options we have to operate our universities.
Information about fees and financial aid is available on our Budget Central website: http://blogs.calstate.edu/budgetcentral/.”
The fee increase for in-state undergraduates will amount to $306 per year. At Sonoma this results in the following fee structure:
Undergraduates (per semester)
1-6 units: $1604. (includes $632 of campus-based fees)
7+ units: $2309. (includes $632 of campus-based fees)
Graduate/Post-Baccalaureate (per semester)
1-6 units: $1832. (includes $632 of campus-based fees)
7+ units: $2699. (includes $632 of campus-based fees)
Credential Students (per semester)
1-6 units: $1760. (includes $632 of campus-based fees)
7+ units: $2579. (includes $632 of campus-based fees)
For more detailed information (including fees for MBA and non-resident students as well as a breakdown of campus-based fees), go to:
http://www.sonoma.edu/ar/registration/Fees.shtml
As always, one third of the increase is set aside to enhance financial aid grants. More than half of CSU’s 450,000 students receive financial aid, and many pay no fees at all. Of the students who receive need-based financial aid, 80 percent will not pay any fee increase.
This is an extremely difficult budget time for the students, faculty and staff of Sonoma State University and its 22 sister campuses. We will continue to do our best to meet the needs of students, faculty and staff.
Sincerely,
Ruben Armiñana, President
