You can't really do anything about the state budget.  CA higher education is still cheaper than most states. I'm more critical of the additional fees CSUB students have to pay.  The students are billed around an additional $65 (could be more--I already graduated) each quarter for Division 1 sports, which doesn't benefit the majority of the campus.  Students are also paying additional money for an athletic center (gym).  That could benefit the entire campus, but if I remember correctly the fees for the future athletic center was costly. I think around $100 a quarter.  I think they should have downscaled their plans to lower the fees . Oh well, I guess that is where CSUB's priorities are.

High school grads will be planning to get as many transferable community college credits as they can, then apply to a university. Even at that, expect to take 5 years to complete a 4 year program. College and living costs are a runaway freight train.

That 276 dollars could be saved by skipping 1 road trip to the coast.

Or skipping a few keggers.

Top Ramen is about 11 cents a pack at Winco.

Just trying to help. 

The CSU syste is one of the least expensive university systems in the United States. For a 4 year program, you will pay $12,192. How soon after graduation will you make that difference back versus working a non-degreed job...3-6 months?

And, catpaw, your comment to expect 5 years to complete a 4 year program. I think you should follow drilnliftcrude's advice and skip a few kegers. I finished TWO bachelor degrees and a minor in four years. But, I did not go to a single social activity (outside of church events) in my entire academic career. I finished with a 3.76 GPA, magna cum laude; then finished my M.S. two years later with a 3.92 GPA; I am now two-thirds of the way done on my Ph.D.

I also had friends who finished a single bachelor degree in less than 4 years. You just have to work hard.

TOOTALL: how many jobs were you holding down at the same time you were getting these degrees? Did you live at home? These things make a difference in how long it might take someone to complete their education.  Also, were you able to get every class you wanted when you wanted/needed them?  That also has an affect on the grad. time frame.

Still, raising tuition and costs to support sports or a gym is not a fair or equitable expense. As witter points out, classes are not all ways accessible. To assume road trips (price of gas?) and booze parties figure in the equation is presumptuous, as is getting through school with the current cuts in funding.

WITTERPITTERS: Understandably there are external factors for everyone. I did occassionally have part-time jobs, but generally did not work...my education was my focus. I fully supported myself, however, through grants, scholarships, and loans. I did not live with my parents and they did not pay a dime of my educations costs. I'm not claiming to be some wonderful person, but when you are in college, your main focus in life needs to be your education.

The reasons many students take longer than 4 years to finish their degree is not because they are working or can't get the classes they need. Obviously, for some students, those issues are a factor. A mother returning to school after raising her children is going to have other distractions in life, for instance. However, many traditional students are taking 5+ years to finish (traditional being defined as a full-time student who starts college immediately after finishing high school). They are taking so long because they are partying, dropping classes because their grades are suffering, etc. Even though the trends are changing, there are still far more traditional students in higher education than non-traditional.