As the cost of living – and the cost of tuition — continues to rise, many San Diego State University students are experiencing financial strains.

Many SDSU students cited tuition as their primary expense, a change from last year when students were most concerned with paying housing costs.

The cost of attendance for a California resident is $8,290. For out-of-state students, an additional $396 is added per credit, adding nearly $6,000 to the base tuition fee.

These numbers will soon rise as the California State University system will be increasing tuition by 6% each year for the next five years.

“A higher education is very important to me and family, but with increases like the ones that are going into effect, a degree is becoming more and more unattainable for the average person,” said Maya Martinez, an out-of-state SDSU student.

Transfer students said that, while tuition costs were still difficult, their time in community college prior to attending SDSU allowed them to prepare for the cost.

“Since I’m a transfer student, I’ve already completed two years at a community college which was a much cheaper investment,” said Jacob Houseman, an SDSU student. “That saved my family and I quite a lot of money when compared to going straight to SDSU.”

Other students saved their extra FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) money from attending community college to pay their SDSU tuition.

In addition to tuition costs, students said they spent a significant amount of money on housing and food.

For a triple or quad room on campus with a required meal plan, students pay $19,653 for the school year.

“As a sophomore, I live on campus,” said Michael Hayes, an SDSU student. “The quality of the housing seems comparable to other options in the College Area, yet it is hundreds more per month. High on campus housing costs doesn’t seem to be a uniquely SDSU issue, but an issue across most universities.”

Upperclassmen get the option to move off campus. However, a shared room in an off-campus student apartment building can cost $1,100 per month or more, plus utilities, parking and other fees.

“For the amount I pay to live [off-campus, the quality], is not ideal,” Martinez said. “There is a cockroach problem, there are numerous maintenance issues that staff has deemed unfixable. There are always issues with the elevators, garages, appliances constantly breaking down, etc. I’m often finding myself scoffing when a new issue arises considering the amount I pay for rent.”

The apartment building Martinez lives in starts at $1,275 for a private bedroom.

Housing costs continue to rise yearly and students face increased costs when they renew their leases.

Does SDSU provide students with enough financial resources?

Students also expressed concerns about the resources SDSU has available for students.

“I don’t even know if there are resources for low income students,” said Jennifer Aguilar, an SDSU student. “If low income students don’t know the resources, they’ll feel like they don’t have support…they’re going to feel like SDSU is not for them.”

Many encouraged the SDSU administration to bring an increased focus to the resources available to students so they can be adequately accessed.

One such resource SDSU offers is the Basic Needs Center, which provides a food pantry, basic needs kits and support accessing outside resources. 

The center also hosts financial education classes, allowing students to meet one-on-one with a peer counselor to help answer questions related to students’ personal finances.

As a student at SDSU, are you concerned about your finances?