The California State University system has proposed to turn away 10,000 students and expects a 10 percent student fee increase for the 2009-2010 academic year because of the state budget crisis in California.

This comes after CSU applications for fall 2009 are up about 20 percent from last year.’

‘ The CSU indicates Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently proposed midyear budget cuts of $66 million in the current academic year and the CSU anticipates further reductions for the 2009-2010 academic year.

The proposed mid-year budget cuts comes after the final 2008-2009 budget was $215 million below the CSU’s operational needs for the fiscal year, the CSU indicates.’

The state has already cut $246 million from the 2008-2009 CSU budget. The CSU turned away about 10,000 students for the 2008-2009 academic year and thousands more could be turned away if the Board of Trustees votes to close enrollment early for 2009-2010, the California Faculty Association and Alliance for the CSU indicate.

‘ In a statement Tuesday, CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed said Gov. Schwarzenegger has proposed to reduce the CSU’s current year budget by $97.6 million which includes an earlier requested $31.3 million one-time reduction.

Reed added the budget cuts come as the state tries to close a roughly estimated $11.2 billion deficit. Because of the proposed budget cuts to the CSU, it has proposed to cut enrollment by 10,000 students for 2009-2010.

‘For several years, the CSU has provided access to more students while funding and resources from the state have remained static’hellip;’ Reed said in a statement. ‘In fact, the CSU this year is serving 10,000 students for whom the state provides no funding. This imbalance cannot continue.’

Reed said admitting students without the resources such as providing courses and services that students need to complete their education is ‘not fair to students, or to the faculty and staff members who support them.’

About 1,500 students and other members of the public marched onto the north steps of the state’s Capitol in May to rally against the governor’s budget cut to the CSU system.

California Faculty Association and Alliance for the CSU, faculty, staff and students rallied Tuesday at the CSU Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach and held a vigil,’ ‘Cuts Have Consequences,’ outside the CSU Board of Trustees meeting. A rally at the chancellor’s office is also expected on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.’

Reed said the CSU will make a decision this week regarding admission of students to all 23 CSU campuses. The CSU Board of Trustees and senior leaders will discuss on Tuesday and Wednesday whether to declare a ‘system-wide impaction,’ a move that will require the CSU to restrict access to several students, Reed said.’