LA Times: Cal State to call student fees the T-word

[marmar]

Ending a decades-long tradition, the California State University plans to start using the word "tuition" instead of "fees" to refer to the educational costs it charges to students.

The move marks a fundamental philosophical shift in the ideal of offering Californians a tuition-free public college education, a principle enshrined in the state's master plan for higher education adopted 50 years ago.

California students have long paid fees for specialized or optional services such as health, housing and recreation. But in recent years, as the state has been hit by recessions, its public colleges have increasingly charged students hefty fees to help cover their educational costs as well.

Tuition is a more accurate and honest description of the charges, Cal State officials said. It is also in line with the label most widely used by colleges and universities across the country.

"It's a case of truth in advertising and saying, 'Let's be honest with ourselves and honest with everyone else,' " said Robert Turnage, the university's assistant vice chancellor for budget. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-college-tuition-20101109,0,3428628.story

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Nah, I did not read that

the FEES were already high in the 1980s... hell during my College Career we even revolted once over it...they were a tuition back then, even if they didn't use the word. And they have gotten higher. I smell the fact that many of the CSU and US system schools are now looking at PRIVATE SECTOR HELP.

The Master plan been dead for ten years quite honestly. It is now official.

[kysrsoze]

2. Good, cause fees have become a bullshit euphemism for higher tuition.

Fees used to be something like a charge for gym shorts, or a printer/paper fee. Now it's a boatload of money tacked onto already too high tuition.