UC and Cal State warn that fees may increase

The 10-campus University of California released a report Thursday that projects a 9.4% hike for most in-state student fees. That would mean $662 more for undergraduates who are California residents, bringing their average bill to $8,670. That figure includes campus-specific charges but not housing, books and other expenses, which can add $12,000 to $14,000. Graduate and professional school fees would rise more steeply.

The 23-campus Cal State system recently said it would seek enough state funding to avoid a 10% student fee increase for the 2009-10 school year. If that does not succeed, average undergraduate fees for Cal State would rise by about $300 to $4,150, including campus charges but not housing and books.

The governing boards of UC and Cal State are scheduled to meet next week to discuss their budgets amid news of mounting state deficits and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's calls for new taxes and midyear spending cuts. The boards are likely to put off voting on fees until spring, however, and much will be in flux until then, officials said.

UC spokesman Brad Hayward said its proposed 9.4% increase met the university systems' agreement with the governor four years ago that annual fee hikes would be capped at 10% if the state provided enough funding each year for enrollment growth and basic needs. If the state continues to reduce UC's funding, Hayward warned, fees might rise more than 10%.

"It's possible but it's certainly not what we are looking for," he said.

"We recognize the national economic crisis has strained budgets for all families and that now is a difficult time for students to contemplate fee increases," Hayward said. "At the same time, students enroll at UC with an expectation for access to certain levels of academic quality and student services." Quality will decline without enough funding, he added.

Cal State spokeswoman Clara Potes-Fellow said the chances were "probably slim" that the state would provide enough funds to avoid a 10% fee increase. But she said Cal State would still ask Sacramento for the money.

Asked whether fees might go higher than 10%, Potes-Fellow said Cal State trustees "can't rule out anything in this difficult budget environment."