San Jose State University students began paying more and more for less and less in fall 2008. That's when the budget cuts started.
Students were dropped from classes, thousands couldn’t add classes, and seniors weren’t able to graduate on time. Students on a four-year track to graduate found it turning into a five-year track.
Earlier this month, local residents, faculty, and students gathered the San Jose State university campus along with other colleges, holding a two-hour rally protesting the budget cuts. Hundreds of people were yelling and screaming, holding up banners and protest posters, demanding change.
“I mean its ridiculous, where is my money going,” said Ashley Hall, a junior who feels that things need to go back to the way they were during fall 2007 when she began as a freshman.
Not only are the students undergoing classroom changes but the campus food court prices are going up as well. Everything has gone up about 10 percent this semester. “
The state budget proposed by Governor Schwarzenegger on January 10 reduces funding to the California State Universities by a total of 386.1 million. This reduction includes a direct cut $ 312.9 million and fails to fund $ 73.2 million necessary to avoid raising student fees by 10 percent for the 2008-2009 academic school year”, according to the San Jose State University fact sheet.
It also stated that “At the current rate of economic return, the proposed budget cuts to CSU would remove more than $ 1 billion from the states economy as California leaders grapple with an ongoing budget deficit. The cuts would mean larger class sizes, less student support, and less course sections, resulting in students taking longer to graduate”.
“They even charge for sour cream now," said Tashia Taylor. "I can’t even eat my Quesadilla how I use to because of the 75 cent increase.”
Students are unable to afford the cost because their money is being spent on tuition, rent, PG&E, gas, insurance, and other expenses. Many students were astonished this past semester with the Dinning Commons, which recently equipped their facility with three 37-inch television sets. Many are wondering how the university was able to make such big purchases.
With the economy in a recession, the government should be more understanding with the cost of education. Without the voices of local residents and students showing support on this months protest no one would have been able to voice their opinion.
