A San Francisco State student who tried to sue the university in small claims court over tuition increases lost her case on Monday. Angela Yuen Uyeda, a 21-year-old communications major, hoped to get back the $336 she had to pay after the 20 percent fee hike that went into effect in June. With no explanation, Commissioner Paul Slavit issued a written judgment declaring that the school does not owe Uyeda any money.
It was two weeks after the deadline to pay for fall registration when Uyeda received an e-mail notifying her that she now owed more money for the additional increases. She had already paid her full-time tuition, after a 10 percent increase in May.
“When you go to Macy’s or any store, you buy something and you get a receipt, and that’s the end,” Uyeda said in an interview with the Chronicle. “They don’t come back and tell you, ‘Oh, we raised the price.’ ” The woman has a point.
Unfortunately, the powers that be don’t see it that way. The university defended itself by saying that they have notified students that fees can change at any time.
There is still some hope for students as a separate class-action lawsuit is making it’s way through San Francisco Superior Court. Six students from various CSU’s filed a suite last August in hopes that a judge will reverse the fee hikes across the entire cal state system.
