Cal State Trustees Approve 9 Percent Tuition Hike

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) California State University trustees have approved a 9 percent tuition hike despite a demonstration that ended in a struggle between police and protesters.

Assistant Chancellor Robert Turnage says the trustees reconvened elsewhere as the demonstration occurred at the doors of the Long Beach meeting room and they voted 9-6 in favor of the increase.

The hike will raise student costs $498 to $5,970 a year.

Three people were taken into custody during the demonstration and an officer suffered a cut arm when a door shattered.

University officials said the proposed tuition increase for 2012-2013 is necessary because of continuing cuts in state funding. The CSU budget has been slashed by $650 million in recent years and another $100 million cut is possible next month.

The board plans to ask the Legislature for an additional $138.3 million in state funding. If approved, the tuition hike wouldn't be needed.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a member of the CSU board of trustees, said he opposes a tuition hike.

"We have an obligation to our students and their families to send a strong message to Sacramento that our higher education system and economy cannot meet its potential unless this catastrophic trend is reversed," he said.

There are about 412,000 students enrolled at Cal State campuses.

Cal State officials said the availability of financial aid means about 45 percent of the university system's students won't be impacted by the tuition hike.

Tuition rose 23 percent and enrollment was slashed by 10,000 students in the past two years because of the cuts in state funding.

The tuition hike vote came as faculty from two campuses made plans to walk off the job Thursday to protest Cal State's withholding of contractual pay raises for faculty members.