With rising costs of housing, costs for food, budget shortfalls and COVID aid in the rearview mirror, the time has come for educational institutions to start looking for new ways to finance their operations. And no matter how predictable, it’s surprising to see that this time it’s the California State University system ready to ask students to pay up. Cal State has increased tuition only once in the last 11 years, which has cemented the system’s reputation as one of the state’s most desired options for baccalaureate programs. While the university budget faces a $1.5 billion gap, an annual tuition increase risks pushing out more low-income students and widening equity gaps for Black students.
