SF State News {University Communications}

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Governor's Budget Revise: Higher Education a Priority

Note: the following e-mail was sent on 5/14/10 to all students.

 

Dear Student:

 

Public higher education received encouraging news today, with the release of Governor Schwarzenegger’s May Revision of the state budget. This version of the 2010-2011 proposed budget continues to include the restoration of $305 million to the California State University’s budget, as well as an additional $60.6 million to support enrollment growth across the CSU’s 23 campuses.


CSU Chancellor Charles Reed commented that "Governor Schwarzenegger has made supporting higher education a priority and we appreciate the continued commitment of his administration. The return of these funds will allow us to restore and preserve student access at campuses across the state. By reinvesting in California’s public universities, we will all ultimately benefit from the creation of jobs which is vital to the state’s economic recovery and prosperity."


The $305 million would serve to backfill a "one-time" reduction to the CSU budget for 2009-2010 and would allow the system to serve 21,000 more students than it can serve under existing state funding levels. The $60.6 million would fund the expansion of enrollment by more than 8,000 additional students system-wide. In the governor’s January proposal this additional enrollment funding was contingent upon the state receiving a threshold amount in federal aid for other state programs. The May Revision removes this contingency. In addition, the governor's May budget revision proposal includes the restoration of new competitive CalGrant awards, which would benefit an estimated 1,600 CSU students and thousands of community college students who will ultimately transfer to the CSU.


San Francisco State's share of this proposed funding is estimated at about $18.5 million, plus $3.6 million for enrollment growth. As the budget cycle progresses and we have more definitive information, I will share it with you.


I truly believe that the broad-based and consistent budget advocacy from campuses like ours, led by the Education Budget Advocacy Committee, has been instrumental in demonstrating to the governor that an investment in higher education is an investment in California's future. Thank you for the work you have done, and continue to do, to support higher education in California.


Please take this opportunity to let your state elected officials know that you support the CSU allocation in the May revise.

 

--Robert A. Corrigan,
president

 

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