Students might see up to a 20 percent fee increase and faculty might see a 10 percent pay cut as a result of the $584 million budget deficit facing the California State University.
CSU Trustees discussed options Tuesday to address budget cuts, including employee furloughs, enrollment reductions and student fee increases. The budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year is projected at $1.6 billion – $500 million below the allocated funds a decade ago, according to a press release from the chancellor’s office.
“We have never before seen such a devastating cut in a single year,” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed in the release. “I am really concerned because the CSU system has a national reputation for access, quality and diversity.”
Although final negotiations have not been made on the monthly two-day furlough for all 47,000 CSU employees, such an action would generate about $275 million toward the $584 million deficit and prevent 22,000 classes from being canceled.
“I pay for a lot of my college so it will definitely impact me,” said computer science sophomore Skyler Durst. “I came to the CSU to have a good quality education that’s also economical.”
The chancellor’s office also announced that students getting Cal grants A and B can defer university fee payments for the summer and fall terms because the state may delay the funding of these grants. Students will apply on a case-by-case basis to get short-term loans from the individual CSU campuses.
“CSU is committed to ensuring that this situation with the Cal Grants does not hurt our students’ academic progress,” said Chancellor Reed in another statement released Wednesday. “Many students and their families rely on Cal Grants to cover the cost of education. We will do what we can to provide for the neediest of students, many of whom are the first of their family to attend college.”
Pell grants from the federal government will still be given to students that qualify.
The CSU will look to reduce its enrollment by 32,000 students and consider a student fee increase at the July 21 board meeting.