San Jose State students to see tuition increase in fall

San Jose State University students can expect to see a tuition hike next fall as state colleges use the increase to make up for a shortfall in operating costs.

Officials in the California State University system recently reported college revenues account for only 86% of operational costs, leaving a gap of $1.5 billion for the 2021–22 school year. Undergraduate and graduate SJSU students on average will be charged an extra $93 in tuition fees beginning this fall, as a part of the CSU’s long-term approach toward finding solutions that keep the system financially healthy.

To achieve this, undergraduate base fees will increase from $7,899 for the 2022-23 school year to $7,992 in 2023-24. Graduate base fees will increase from $9,333 for the 2022-23 school year to $9,426 in 2023-24.

Some students pursuing master’s degrees and certificates at the School of Information will see a bigger tuition hike since the school has not increased its tuition in 12 years. The School of Information grants students degrees in the information field, such as data analytics.

 Students pursuing a master’s degree in library and information science, a teacher librarian services credential and other related degrees in this field can expect to see a nearly 11% increase in tuition.

Students have mixed reactions to the cost increase, ranging from disappointment to understanding the steep financial requirements of universities to function at their highest level.

For Sheyn Muncada, 19, an undergraduate music composition major, the increase is going to be “a big blow.”

Muncada said they will become financially independent from their family this fall, and expect to have a packed schedule as a music student, leaving little time for work. Muncada said they plan to work as much as they can during the summer to save up for tuition costs and other living expenses.

The cost of living in San Jose has skyrocketed in recent months. Last month, an analysis by real-estate data company Clever said San Jose has the worst price-to-rent ratio out of 50 of the most populous U.S. cities.

Muncada said they have already taken out student loans to help pay for tuition and living expenses and will have to do so again in the fall.

“I don’t want student loans to essentially take over my tuition because I have to allocate what little money I’m going to earn every week,” they said.

San Jose resident Yossef Eini, 20, an undergraduate computer science major, said he thinks the increase is justifiable.

He said he is lucky to not have had to take out student loans and can rely his family for financial support. Eini said he expects the increase not to affect him much since it’s less than current inflation rates. He said the hike is understandable for the university.

“That’s why I’m in college, I think it’s worth it,” Eini said. “If the price is too high where I don’t think it’s worth it, then I’m not going to continue.”

Pranith Prasanna, 28, a master’s student in engineering management, said the tuition increase is a good thing if it will help the university close its funding gap.

“I believe increasing the cost is very fair because they have to adequately compensate the staff who work here,” he said. “If you need something cutting edge, it costs more.”

Prasanna, a San Jose resident, is able to attend SJSU through government loans, which he knows upon graduation will need to be repaid.

“It’s going to be a bigger hole in my pocket,” Prasanna said. “It’s not a good thing for me, but then, overall, when I look at it, I think it’s not a bad decision.”

Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on Twitter.