On June 2nd, 2023, the SJSU MSW Online/Hybrid program students were informed that beginning in Fall 2023, the cost per credit hour would increase from $475 to $600 per unit. The students of that program are proposing that the current increase be reconsidered or restructured better to fit the core values of the Tower Foundation. The students are further asking for accountability and transparency regarding the proposed spending for the additional tuition fees. 

Additionally, the students are requesting that all additional tuition increases be not only reasonable but also that the student body be made aware of those increases within an adequate time frame. We also ask that current students who are enrolled in the online program remain enrolled with the tuition rate that we agreed upon when accepting admission at $475 per unit. The Working Families Student Fee Transparency and Accountability Act “requires the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) to comply with prescribed public notice and student consultation procedures before adopting an increase in mandatory systemwide fees." The legislation also requires the segments to develop a list of factors to consider when recommending a fee increase. In addition, Chapter 620 requires UC and CSU to provide the Legislature with annual reports with detailed information on fees, aid, and total costs of attendance. Beginning this year, the legislation requires our office to report on the segments’ implementation of these policies”, which we were not consulted with or made notice of any meetings held in regards to the increase. 

The increase in tuition for the Online/Hybrid MSW program went from $475 to $600 per unit. It will result in the Online/Hybrid program costing more than double the tuition for the in-person MSW program (which costs $295/unit), despite the Online/Hybrid students not having access to the on-campus educational and recreational opportunities available to the in-person students. In addition, the price increase represents a 26% increase in tuition expenses, far above other online graduate programs in the university. For perspective, the SJSU School of Information will see a fee increase of less than 11% this Fall. The students feel that the increase anticipated in the Online/Hybrid MSW program is, therefore, unreasonable. 

Not only is the increase concerning but so is the inadequate notice of the change in fees. Students were informed of the fee increase on June 2nd, 2023, with only two and a half months' notice before the start of the next school year and after the Summer 2023 session had already begun. Many students had just finished unpaid internships and had already planned out their finances for the upcoming school year. Some students are paying for the program out of pocket and will need to rethink their financial plans, while others will be taking additional debt with student loans that they did not anticipate. The students ask that all future financial decisions be made public well before the date they will take place. The students also ask that the university keep the student body aware that tuition increases are under discussion and outline how the fees may change.

The students believe that this increase, and the timeframe in which they were made aware of it, is in direct conflict with the values of the Tower Foundation. The values in question are those of trust, inclusion, and empathy. The students feel that this increase has betrayed their trust in the school administration, and they were not included in any way concerning this increase. The students also feel that the drastic and unreasonable increase in tuition shows a lack of empathy for the student body, who are balancing work, internships, and full-time education. 

The students want to know why the tuition increase is so drastic. The students would also like to know how the increased funding will be spent and why it was warranted. Another value of the Tower Foundation is accountability. The student body is asking for accountability in discussing the necessity for such a substantial increase in tuition. 

We have also included a student impact statement below. 

“I had reached out to the School of Social Work admin in February 2023 and asked about the potential tuition increase. I was told there was no information available. Months elapsed, and still no word. Without any clarifying information about a tuition increase, I made decisions on internship placement, planned a move to a different town, signed a new lease, and am taking leave from a job. Now, these decisions make my financial future untenable. Even by taking out the maximum amount of federal loans, I now no longer have enough money for rent. I may lose my housing. I took an unpaid internship in a town with low wages. Had I been updated that there would be a nearly 26% tuition increase, I would have made completely different decisions. Now, I am looking at a level of financial precarity that will leave me in the same service pool as the clients I work with.” -Rachel Shearer, Online/Hybrid MSW Student, Class of 2024

“I became passionate about the field of social work 5 years ago when I saw the compassion, transparency, and kindness of social work employees so I decided to continue my education and enrolled in SJSU. I saved every penny to pay for the tuition myself because debt has traumatized me and brought me and my family only pain since we lost our home because of it and they had to put me in a foster home. In 5 years, I was able to save to pay for the first year of studies and for the first semester of the second year with the hope that throughout the academic year, I would be able to save the remaining part, but 2 weeks ago we were informed that our tuition increases by 26% and made that goal unattainable. I was devastated by the news because my decisions were based on my finances and the thought that I had 40% of the second-year tuition saved, which now doesn’t even cover 25% of the tuition. I accepted an internship that did not pay, reduced my hours, refused job offers, and did repairs to my car with my tuition cost in mind. If I knew about the increase early enough, I would have chosen another internship that was paid, I would have accepted a better-paid job or I would have remained a full-time employee and I would have postponed the repairs on the car. I am concerned about my financial ability to continue the program. It is oppressive to be forced into debt when this could have been prevented if the tuition increase had been communicated to us in a timely manner.”  -Online/Hybrid MSW Student, Class of 2024