By snoadmin
Members of the Cal State Long Beach community rallied in opposition of the 10 percent tuition increase for the fall of 2007 at the Southwest Terrace Tuesday.
Tuition is set to increase every year until the year 2011. Some of the students rallying were also involved in the California Faculty Association’s (CFA) fight for a better salary contract. Although the CFA’s fight has come to an end, the students’ fight has just begun.
Students who attended the rally were given a paper in a letter format, addressed to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senate President Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez.
“I urge you to put students first and stop the current proposed 10 percent fee hike for fall 2007,” the letter states. “I’m concerned about the continuous rise in taxes [student fees]. Since 2002 we have experienced four fee hikes totaling 76 percent or $1,092.” After students have signed the letter, it will be taken to Sacramento and will be followed by lobbying.
Free food and music were provided to students in attendance.
“I work three jobs and am barely making my rent,” said Helen Doe, a junior political science major who is also an intern for the CFA. She and sophomore nursing major Nina Delavin are working with CSU Students for Quality Education and CFA.
Doe also talked about the $7 million budget cut to programs, such as the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). The EOP provides first-generation low-income students with skills and resources needed to be successful in college.
“An EOP student has the potential to perform satisfactorily at CSULB, but may not be able to realize this potential because of the lack of economic and educational resources,” the EOP Web site states.
