Vanessa Marcano

Tuition and fees for all SDSU students will increase by 6 percent effective as of this year’s summer semester.

“Tuition is going up across the board because our state support was not increased again,” said Matt Tollefson, president of the Students’ Association.

In the past, the state would pay for around 55 percent of education, Tollefson said. Over time, costs and expenses have gone up, but state funding has not.

“In order to keep this university running, our tuition will continue to be raised until the legislators realize that our campus cannot be self-supported.”

Tollefson said that some of the new investments stemming from the tuition increase would be directed toward technology improvements. An extra $6 per-credit-hour technology increase will be directed as follows: $4 towards infrastructure, which includes 600 new wireless access points across campus and smart area classrooms, and $2 towards faculty training.

“We will basically have wireless everywhere, except for the dorms and green spaces on campus, so that will be very nice,” he said.

SDSU is not the only university to be affected by the rise in tuition and fees since the increase will impact all the institutions in the Board of Regents system.

“A couple of Regents voted against it as a way to send a message to the legislators that we need their help with funding,” he said.

For example, some Regents expressed a lot of frustration with the legislators, especially given the fact that SDSU is the only state building that pays its own electricity, instead of having it subsidized by the state, Tollefson said.

“Regents do not want another increase; last year, it was 8 percent, and this year, 6 percent, but to keep these doors open, it’s what we need to do,” Tollefson said.

The causes for the stagnant state support and the subsequent tuition increase include the state’s budget shortfall.

“Economics is the reason; there are many needs and wants but only so many resources,” Tollefson said. “However, I’d like to see more investment put towards post-secondary education.”

Cole Breuer, a global studies and Spanish major, said he strongly opposes the higher tuition fees.

“In case you haven’t noticed, they run this as a business. They want to continue making a profit; that’s why they are raising the costs,” he said.

Music education major Anna Hittle, on the other hand, thinks that there is fair merit in the tuition increase.

“We definitely need improvements with Internet access on campus. Right now, it’s insane,” she said. “It is a good measure.”

Hittle also said she would like to see more investment towards the Performing Arts Center.

“Maybe because I am partial to the Music Department, but we should really get the projects for the Performing Arts Center moving as soon as possible,” she said.

#1.881661:2037535080.jpg:Laptop.Tutition.RC.CMYK.jpg:Kristin Jenson, a freshman undecided major, uses a laptop computer at The Union. Technology infrastructure is one of the areas increased tuition will help fund next year.:Rhett Clay