SDSU has proposed a new fee that will require incoming out-of-state and international students to pay $1500 more per semester by the end of 2025.
Money from the fee will be allocated to four different categories: Research and Infrastructure, Academic Support, Financial Aid and the CSU Chancellor’s Office.
If implemented, the fee would begin in the fall of 2023 at a starting rate of $500 and would increase by that amount over the next three academic years.
President Adela de la Torre decided to use an alternative consultation process for the fee, which collects suggestions from those who watch the required presentation. This information is then given to the Campus Fee Advisory Committee, to assist in the decision making with de la Torre. This is different from a referendum, which provides an opportunity for students to vote either yes or no similar to a ballot proposition.
This is the third time since 2019 an alternative consultation has occurred. One proposal was accepted while the other was declined.
Maja Sundqvist, an international student studying child family development, said cost of attendance was a contributing factor to her choosing SDSU over other universities in Southern California such as USC and UCLA.
Sundqvist believes the fee will negatively affect future international students’ decision making.
“It’s a lot of money,” Sundqvist said. “I think less and less (international students) will come to SDSU.”
Zelem Tuguldur, an out of state first-year studying mechanical engineering, also fears the fee will make SDSU more exclusive.
“I think that’s going to push away some people,” Tuguldur said. “Some international students might be more wealthy than others, but there’s some students that can barely afford to study right now.”
Following the full implementation of the proposed fee, prices would be increased annually based on the Higher Education Price Index.
Based on the average HEPI increase in the last five years, students can expect around a 3% increase, according to Commonfund website.
If implemented fully, the fee would generate $16 million for the university to allocate: $4.3 million would be invested in financial aid, $6.2 million in research and infrastructure and $5.4 million in academic support.
Tuition and fees for out-of-state and international students for a nine-month academic year would then rise to just over $23,000 if the proposal is successful.
In order to give your opinion on the matter, students must either go to an information session during one of the scheduled times or view the presentations at the testing center and submit feedback if unable to attend the meetings.
