Chico’s chapter of Students for Quality Education (SQE) met to discuss upcoming increased tuition costs Friday.

As music from second-week student parties could be heard from SSC 206, concerned students met to discuss what these cost hikes mean to them, and how they can have their voices heard.

A range of challenges was mentioned by attendees, from having to ask parents or taking out increased loans, to dropping out as they can barely make ends meet.

Students in certain majors complained their departments were losing classes and staffing yet they were being forced to pay more.

“State universities were created for lower and middle-class students, but it’s becoming harder to do that with cost of living going up and tuition going up,” said Jamie Cabrera of SQE.

The group made plans for awareness-raising events around town as well as a possible trip to a CSU Board of Trustees meeting to appeal to the administration directly.

“We have power as students. We drive this whole system, and historically we’ve lost touch with that,” Cabrera said.

Josh Cozine can be reached at [email protected] or @joshcozine on Twitter.