Beginning in the Fall of 2006 Sacramento State students may be paying an extra 8 percent or $120 each semester because of a California State University Board of Trustees vote on Thursday.
To confirm the increase, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must approve the budget on July 1, 2006.

“Our fight really doesn’t stop here _” this is the beginning of the process,” said Curtis Grima, secretary of state for Associated Students Inc.

The trustee budget meeting, held in Long Beach, passed an 8 percent undergraduate fee increase and a 10 percent graduate fee increase for all California State Universities.

Corey Jackson, the California State Student Association representative, was the only member out of 14 to vote “no” on the budget.

Students from all 23 CSUs turned out in high numbers and impacted Jackson’s vote to reject the fee increase, Grima said.

Three Sacramento State students, including ASI Director of Business Angela Arriola and ASI Chief of Staff Noemi Beas, were present for the fee verdict.

Beas said that the number of students surprised her, there were over a hundred, she said.

Eight students addressed the board about the issue telling members to take into consideration student living and book expenses before hiking fees once more, Beas said.

“It’s really hard because students have to find good paying jobs,” Beas said. Minimum wage jobs won’t cut it anymore.

The fee increase was in line with a six-year agreement between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Board of Trustees to implement multi-year fee increases.

Also passing at the meeting was an increase in the salary of 23 campus presidents, a boost in 26 executive salaries, and a raise to CSU Chancellor Charles Reed’s salary by $45,808 to $362,500.

Grima said that while the passage of the fee increase serves a blow to students, this is just the beginning of the state budget process.