Gov. Brown vetoes budget aimed at cutting more funds from CSU
June 25th, 2011
Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a budget proposal drafted by Democrats in the Legislature last Thursday that would cut billions in state funding, including an additional $150 million from the CSU.
Senate Bill 69 and Assembly Bill 98 were sent back to the Legislature without approval from Brown after the budget was found to be unbalanced, continuing big deficits for years to come and adding billions of dollars of new debt, he said in a statement.
Chancellor Charles Reed agreed the cuts proposed by lawmakers would be devastating to the CSU budget, which has already been reduced by $500 million for fiscal year 2011-2012.
CSUN tuition still below national average, still growing fast
July 14th, 2011
Tuition and fees for CSUN have increased by over 43 percent the last few years due in part to budget cuts, making it the ninth largest growth for a public, four-year university in the country.
The cost for attending CSUN skyrocketed from $3,350 in 2007 to $4,801 in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Costs are continuing to go up.
CSU Board of Trustees approved a 10 percent increase in tuition for Fall 2011, addressing the $500 million cut approved by state legislators in March.
What happened over summer: state budget, tax extensions and tuition hikes
August 28, 2011
Less than two months before fall semester began, the CSU board of trustees voted to raise tuition by 12 percent after legislators refused to hold a special election asking Californians to extend current tax levels.
“If we had simply maintained the tax rate at where we were last year, we would have avoided the additional $150 million cut,” said Erik Fallis, CSU spokesman.
In the July 12 vote, which passed 13-2, Fallis said the board of trustees acted quickly to avoid the risk of affecting the value of students’ education.
“We had just cut $400 million from programs and services,” Fallis said. “We don’t want to go down a road where we sacrifice quality.”
Trigger cuts could reduce CSU funding another $100 million
August 28, 2011
California’s revenues are below projections and moving the CSU closer to a trigger cut that could take an additional $100 million from the system, according to the first report of state finances since the budget was adopted in June.
The possibility of more cuts is no different than years past and CSUN has an austerity plan, said Dr. Harry Hellenbrand, CSUN provost and vice president for academic affairs.
“We’ve tried to build in a reserve to handle additional cuts,” he said. “What will be, will be.”
Graduate students to start paying more on loans next year
August 30, 2011
Graduate students at CSUN will have to start paying interest on their loans next fall while undergraduate students will still be able to breathe easy when it comes to their borrowed money.
As part of a way to trim the national deficit by at least $2.1 trillion, the federal government will no longer pay the interest of graduate loans while the student is still in school beginning July 1, 2012.
“It’s certainly not a good deal if you’re a graduate student,” said Haley Chitty, spokesperson for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
Resources being preserved in light of budget cuts
September 19th, 2011
Budget cuts have affected more than just students trying to crash classes. Administration has felt the pinch and are making changes to save resources and make them stretch.
In January the governor’s office released the 2011-12 budget for the CSU system which called for an 18 percent reduction in state support. Translated to monetary terms, about $500 million that has been cut.
Each college and department on campus has been affected differently by the financial strain.
Tuition will not be raised for Spring semester though trigger cuts likely
October 3rd, 2011
Students will not be asked for more tuition to make up for what have been described as inevitable trigger cuts, set to slash another $100 million from California higher education if the state does not meet expected revenues by December, said CSU Chancellor Charles Reed.
“I think the trigger will get pulled,” Reed said at the Sept. 21 board of trustees meeting. “I met with presidents two weeks ago and, frankly, we’re going to spend down to nothing almost.”
Effects of cutting spending could include fewer classes and possible staff layoffs, as was the case in 2009, said Liz Chapin, CSU spokeswoman.
Expecting $4 billion in revenue may have been too confident an assumption when lawmakers included the anticipated funds in the July budget, said Robert Turnage, CSU assistant vice chancellor for budget.
CSU board of trustees vote for tuition increase at meeting turned violent
November 17, 2011
CSU board of trustees voted to increase Fall 2012 tuition 9 percent while protesters turned violent outside after being removed from the Chancellor’s Office Wednesday.
Trustees voted 9 to 6 to raise full-time undergraduate tuition by $498 a year, bringing the total annual cost to $5,970.
“(It’s) time to tell the legislature this is what we need to operate this system, and if they’re not going to act then we have to show the leadership and make those tough, hard decisions,” board member Bob Linscheid said. “I hate like heck to make that decision, but I will.”
Chancellor Charles Reed told the board that a vote on tuition needed to be made as soon as possible to give prospective and current students plenty of notice of the fee increase.
CSU budget looks to restore additional funding
November 27, 2011
CSU’s 2012-13 budget asks the state legislature to restore $333 million in additional funding for the 23-campus system.
The board of trustees unanimously approved the budget after voting 9 to 6 to raise Fall 2012 tuition by 9 percent.
The newly affirmed budget requests $397 million, but CSU plans to earn $64 million of that in revenue from a 5 percent enrollment boost, according to CSU’s website.
“I anticipate CSU is asking for money due to the several budget cuts they were hit with over the last few years,” said H.D. Palmer, deputy director of California’s Department of Finance. “We won’t know if the request will be granted until the Governor enacts the new budget in January.”
Over the last four years, CSU has faced dramatic budget cuts and has not been able to keep up with the pace, said CSU’s website.
