Each semester produces a wide spectrum of feelings for students. There is the excitement of new classes, professors and classmates. Yet, for many students on campus, each semester can bring feelings of dread as students and parents try to figure out how to pay the ever-increasing fees.

Students have not seen a fee increase recently. But that would change under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal to raise fees by about 10 percent at CSU. This fee increase will hit students and parents hard. Students may be forced to work full-time jobs, take out expensive loans or hope their parents will help them pay for their schooling fees.

But while looking at your depleted bank account or rising credit card balance after fees are due, think about the fact that the California college system is still among the cheapest in the nation.

While $3,010 for fees during the 2006-07 school year may seem like a lot of money to a student that is struggling financially, consider that Washington State University’s tuition is $6,448 for a full-time resident and Arizona State University’s is $4,688, according to each university’s Web site. This is considerably more than what Cal State Fullerton students pay. Even within the California college system, the fees at UCI are more than double what CSUF students pay for a comparable education.

For a fraction of the cost of most private and state schools, CSUF still provides an excellent education and programs that are highly recognized and, in some cases, significantly better than a private college.

If Gov. Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal does go into effect and fees increase, realize that the fees cover a lot more than just class instruction. Fees to cover the cost of student health services are much less than if a student were to pay for a doctor’s visit without insurance. Because we’re students, we receive many benefits that we might take for granted.

Many students seem to be unaware of all of the programs offered here. In addition to the use of facilities such as the campus gym, we get free admission to campus sports events with a current CSUF ID card. In the Titan Student Union, students can purchase tickets discounted as much as 50 percent to concerts, amusement parks and movies.

Other fees go toward improving buildings and providing better technology in classrooms and in the library. Looking at how fees directly impacts students positively can help rising school costs seem less threatening. Students can complain as much as they want about the cost of school, but consider the benefits that these fees bring.

The cost of attending school is expensive. While fees are inconvenient and easy to complain about, remember that students at CSUF have it relatively painless. Would you really want to pay the tuition to attend college in some other states, or even within the UC system? I know I wouldn’t.