The California State University system may get some of its state funding back, though administrators and students at Chico State aren’t betting on it.
Released earlier in January, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2010-2011 budget proposal would restore previous cuts to the CSU system while imposing higher costs on students.
If passed in the final budget, the proposal would restore $305 million in general funds and allow another $60.6 million for enrollment growth if the state meets certain funding needs in other areas, according to a press release from the California Faculty Association. The budget proposal also includes a 10 percent student fee increase, as well as cutting new awards for the Cal Grant program for 2010.
Reaction to the budget proposal has been mixed for CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed, who commended the governor’s efforts in a Jan. 6 statement.
“We appreciate the governor’s intention to begin to reinvest in California’s public universities because there is a critical need in the state for a well educated workforce that can help us to remain competitive in the global economy,” Reed said in the press release.
One of the challenges the CSU system faces is that Californians value higher education but don’t want to pay more, said Sandra Flake, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Chico State.
“The proposal itself doesn’t solve all the problems with higher education in the state,” Flake said. “We’re still facing huge challenges.”
Flake was happy to see the governor’s commitment to higher education, she said.
“The state has made strong commitments in the past and we hope the state will reiterate those commitments in the future, despite the economic challenges,” Flake said.
President Paul Zingg also agreed with the chancellor’s commendation, although he was not optimistic about the governor’s proposal remaining intact in the final budget, he said.
“In general, the final budget ends up close to what the governor proposed in January,” Zingg said. “But in recent years, that has been less and less the case.”
A fee increase would likely have an impact on enrollment, leading to reduced access for students, Zingg said. He is also not in favor of cutting new Cal Grant awards.
“It would be bad public policy to reduce and certainly to eliminate Cal Grants,” he said.
Students at Chico State are concerned about the governor’s budget plan, specifically in regard to fees.
A fee increase would definitely affect affordability, said junior health science major Linly Duenow.
“I would probably be able to attend, but I would have to take more student loans out,” Duenow said.
The increase in fees would also force students to look for work in an already tough job market, said junior Justin Barnett, a recreation administration major from Bakersfield.
Barnett was also concerned about cuts to financial aid because he relies on the Cal Grants to go school, he said.
Zingg’s advice to students is to learn about the budget and to be willing to have their opinions heard.
“This has got to be a long-term commitment,” he said. “Not just a one-year, modest turnaround.”
Sean Longoria can be reached at
slongoria@theorion.com
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