Kounalakis, who sits on Cal State's board of trustees, met privately with students at Cal State Los Angeles, where they strategized over how to move forward as Cal State trustees appear ready to approve annual tuition increases of six percent at their next meeting in September.
The discussion was closed to the media, but in interviews afterward, the Lt. Gov. and student leaders said they want Cal State to take time to study the potential consequences of the tuition hike before implementing it, saying it could have negative impacts for many students whose tuition is not covered by state aid.
Cal State officials have said that about 60 percent of students wouldn't be affected by the hike because they get their tuition covered by Cal Grants and other financial aid.
Cal State did not immediately return a request for comment Friday.
Cal State is mulling the tuition increase to help bridge a one-and-a-half billion dollar funding gap facing the system. Lt. Gov. Kounalakis suggested that Cal State could look for other ways to make up that funding, such as advocating for more funding from lawmakers or cutting salaries for the highest-paid administrators in the system.
The initial hike would equate to a $342 increase for full-time undergraduate students.
