Last semester, students at this university faced a jump in their mandatory fees of around $180. If we were in California, a new bill would make such an increase illegal.

Under the bill introduced by California Democratic state Sen. Dean Florez, that state’s annual fee increases would be capped at 5 percent — last semester’s increase here was 12 percent — and apply only to incoming students.

“The goal is to take the erratic nature out of student fee increases so that families can budget for college and the universities get better at their own budgeting,” Florez told the Associated Press.

At this university, Student Government President Steve Glickman had accused administrators of raising fees to circumvent Gov. Martin O’Malley’s tuition freeze, which had still been in effect at the time. (O’Malley has since allowed tuition to grow 3 percent for next year.)

“If I were O’Malley’s office, I’d be up in arms. … This is exactly what he was trying to prevent,” Glickman said in October.

The increased student fees at this university funded the increased cost of library materials and to replace state cuts to the University Health Center. Officials at California universities told the AP that blocking increases in their own student fees would put their services at risk.

Student fees at this university are low compared to Californias’, at least, and have risen less rapidly. Students at California State University pay $4,900 in fees, according to the AP; students here pay around $1,670. That $4,900 was an increase of 68 percent over last year.

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