Book Description

In 1996, the State's former statutory policy relating to student fees at the State's public universities sunset. Since that time, the State has had no statutory policy in place regarding the ways in which mandatory systemwide student fees at its public universities are to be set or adjusted. Given the lack of a statutory student fee policy and the State's deteriorating fiscal situation, during the 2002-03 State budget deliberations, the Legislature adopted Supplemental Report Language directing the California Postsecondary Education Commission to convene various parties to develop long-term student fee policy recommendations for students enrolled at the University of California and the California State University. The language requests that the Commission forward its student fee policy recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2002. Since May 2002, Commission staff has convened meetings of interested parties to discuss and develop the requested student fee policy recommendations. After nearly a dozen formal meetings and extensive informal consultation, the advisory group has reached broad general--although not universal--agreement about the recommended framework for implementing a long-term student fee policy at California's public universities. The recommendations presented in this paper represent the Commission's perspective regarding a "long-term" student fee policy for the State's public universities. Pursuant to the legislative request, the policy recommendations and framework outlined in this item relate only to mandatory resident student fees at California's public universities. These policy recommendations do not apply to student fees at California's public community colleges. The Commission's student fee policy recommendations are organized into four sections. The first section provides a preamble to the recommended student fee policy and provides the context for considering student fee related issues. The second section outlines a series of policy principles that the Commission recommends be adopted to guide the setting and adjusting of mandatory resident systemwide student fees. The third section outlines the implementing framework that the Commission recommends be adopted to effectuate the implementation of the recommended student fee policy principles. The fourth and final section addresses one additional issue that may require attention to effectively implement the proposed student fee policy. (Karl M. Engelbach was a member of the contributing staff for this report.