On Tuesday Nov. 15, the California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State) chapter of Students for Quality Education (SQE) have protesting a potential 5 percent tuition increase in the California State University (CSU) system.
The Stan State Chapter of SQE has joining chapters from all over California at the Board of Trustees meeting at the campus of California State University, Long Beach.
Since 2000 tuition in the CSU System has increased by 283 percent. This proposed 5percent increase would start in Fall 2017 and would amount to $270. This increase would fund a “Graduation initiative” that focuses on making sure students graduate in 4-6 years.
 However, many are skeptical that an increase in tuition would help this problem. Students that are expected to pay more for their education would have less time to do their homework and focus on their classes. Instead they would have to work more hours to make enough to afford school. Which in turn extends the time that they spend in school.
 SQE wants to inform students about potential tuition increases and let them know that they can do something about it.
 Jon Gramatico, a Student Organizing Intern at California Faculty Association  talked about what SQE’s goals are and how he was surprised about how many students that didn’t know about the work SQE did.
“The amount of students that I’ve come across that don’t know there is a tuition increase coming up and that we have the power to stop it is surprising,” Gramatico said.
 He emphasized that tuition is not the only thing SQE focuses on and it’s not the only thing that equals a quality education. 
“Also parking, food prices because all of that affects your affordability and you being able to go to college, SQE, we don’t work on just protesting tuition hikes because they don’t happen all the time but we really build a movement about what we say we are. Affordable, accessible and quality education,” Gramatico said.
 SQE wants students to feel empowered and that their voices are being heard, not only at Stan State but nationwide.
 For more information or to get  about the Stan State chapter of SQE go to their  Facebook page, website, or email [email protected]
Meetings are every other Monday in the Faculty Development Center at 5:30 p.m.