Proponents say extra tuition from non-Californians will pay for classes, aid for state residents. Protesters fear only the rich from outside the state will afford UC.
CSU tuition will be frozen for a second year in a row at $5,742 annually for full time undergraduates who are California residents. Undergraduates taking six or fewer credits still would pay $3,330.
UC leaders delay the vote until May to give extra time for lobbying in Sacramento for more state funding. They had said that the 2.7 percent increase was needed to increase enrollment, hire faculty, maintain buildings and improve mental health services. But Gov. Jerry Brown said regents should "reject outright" the plan to raise tuition.
State universities can not use tuition or state funds for student unions or many other services. So they turn to extra campus fees to pay for those. But now some students and faculty say those fees are getting too high. A referendum at Cal State Fresno defeated an annual $400 levy to build a new student union.
At $1,430 for a full-time student, the tuition and fees at California's community colleges are less than half the $3,570 national average, the College Board survey found.
Tuition went up 2.7 percent to $12,630 for in-state undergraduates this fall, the first hike in six years. Officials say University of California system may need more revenue for next year.
As result of an 11-8 trustees vote, undergraduate tuition for a full-time student from California would rise to $5,742 a year, not including campus fees, housing and books. But officials say that increased grants will fully cover the increase for many students at CSU's 23 campuses.
The College Futures Foundation calls for more long-term budget plans and a hard look at how pension costs limit university spending on student support services.
Early proposals for the first possible tuition increases in six years call for a $270 hike at CSU and $300 at UC. Much awaits Gov. Brown's January budget plan.
