Ana Mendoza / The Collegian

The CSU Committee on Finance and the Board of Trustees will be meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday to approve tuition increases for the next two semesters; 5 percent for spring 2011 and another 10 percent by fall 2011.

The meeting, which will be held at the Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach, California, will also include a request from the CSU to the legislature to buy out the 10 percent increase for the fall 2011-12 academic year.

“[The success of the buyout] is really unknown,” said Fresno State President John D. Welty. “We’ve got a new governor, a number of new legislators, and it is projected the current budget is not really in balance. If there’s a huge deficit, obviously they’ll have difficult decisions to make about what new funding they can offer.”

The Board of Trustees acted in June to increase fees for the current year, Welty said, and since the legislature did not buy out all of the planned increase in fees, the board would need to deal with the issue in November.

“And that’s what they’re doing,” said Welty.

There will be 30,000 students added to the CSU’s in the spring and more courses added, he said.

“I support the recommendation that’s being made to the Board of Trustees because if we’re going to enroll additional students and provide the classes, the fee revenue is necessary,” said Welty.

He also said that a third of the fee increase will go to financial aid, and said it would help financially needy students to avoid the steeper costs in tuition.

Pedro Ramirez, president of Associated Students, Inc, said it was unfortunate that these fee increases may be implemented.

“After receiving an increase in funds and opening enrollment for the spring, I think it sends mixed signals to the students and the politicians,” said Ramirez. “If the trustees want to hold the politicians accountable and pressure them into increasing funding, they shouldn’t show how easily they can raise fees.”

Members from Students for Quality Education, or SQE, have begun a petition to combat the tuition increases.

Hector Cerda, a graduate student involved with SQE, said students should be able to have evidence that specifically states why these fee increases are necessary and how the added revenue will be used within the university.

A Wednesday protest has also been planned with members traveling down to Long Beach.

Tuesday will be devoted to the Finance Committee adopting a recommendation for the board. Wednesday is when the full Board of Trustees comes together to proceed with the meeting agenda.

Ana Mendoza contributed to this report.