The California State University system — the country’s largest public university system — will be raising its tuition by 6% a year for five straight years, starting in fall of 2024. That’ll be an overall increase of 33% when all is said and done.

And it means each of the nearly half-million students who attend its 23 campuses will need to find an additional $342 next fall. 

CSU isn’t alone among state schools asking for more money: West Virginia University and Rutgers recently raised tuition, as well. 

Cal State pointed out it’s only raised tuition once in the past twelve years. And even public universities have to deal with inflation. 

“Faculty and staff are expecting pay raises,” said Robert Kelchen, who researches higher ed finance as a professor at University of Tennessee Knoxville. “Utilities have gone up health insurance benefits have gone up, all the operating costs have gone up.”

And in lots of states, the legislatures aren’t necessarily interested in giving any more funding to university systems.

“The importance of tuition has gotten bigger and bigger,” he said. “And in about half the states, public colleges are getting more money from tuition than from the state.“

Public schools also have many fixed costs, but fewer potential customers.

“The phrase that people in higher education use is the ‘enrollment cliff,'” said Kevin Carey, vice president for Education Policy and knowledge management at New America.

Cal State University said for a majority of its students, the tuition increase will be covered by grants and scholarships.

Still, Carey said, ultimately tuition increases affect students at the margin most of all.