Student reaction on hikes varies

By Laban Pelz

The Collegian

Students have responded differently to the recent CSU student fee hike and to the salary raises for faculty, staff and campus executives.

The CSU Board of Trustees voted Oct. 27 to increase student fees by 8 percent for the next academic year and then by 10 percent a year the next four years after.

The trustees also voted to raise campus presidents’ salaries, most by 15 to 20 percent (Fresno State President John Welty’s yearly pay will go from $224,232 to $253,836), and faculty and staff will receive a 3.5 percent increase in pay.

Senior geomatics engineering major Brett Brusatori, who said he still has a few semesters to go before he graduates, said he’ll have no trouble paying the rising fees but he won’t have as many luxuries like extra spending money.

While Brusatori said he’ll be able to pay what the school demands, he said he is opposed to the across-the-board raises, calling even the faculty and staff raise “pretty generous.

“It’s not fair we pay for their raises,” he said. “I’m not guaranteed a raise.”

Brusatori also noted the CSU system’s in-state fees are still lower than those of many other university systems around the country.

“We’re still relatively cheap,” he said. “I’ve got a buddy in Wisconsin who pays $3,000 (a semester).”

The story was different for a Fresno State student with more semesters in front of her than behind.

Undeclared freshman Iyali Osuna, who is on financial aid, said she barely has enough money for books, let alone for other bills.

“It’s outrageous,” she said. “Students don’t have enough (money to pay). They need to think of students first.”

Osuna said she’ll have to think of other ways to pay for school costs once the fee increases take effect.
“I don’t think financial aid will cover everything,” she said.

Still another student took a view of the raises opposite from that of Brusatori.

Senior business management major John Freeman said the increase in pay for faculty and staff “doesn’t sound like enough,” and the campus executives’ raises “sound a little steep, but not exorbitant.”

Freeman said the product should meet the cost.

“If I have to pay more, I wish there were more classes,” he said.

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