CSU Aid Falls Short: Somehow, despite a deficit of more than $30 billion in 2023, the state’s public universities and financial aid programs received more funding.
The University of California and California State University each received his 5% increase in state education funding for the second year in a row.
In return, the two systems must increase graduation rates, address racial and ethnic graduation rate disparities, and meet other conditions.
Lawmakers also increased support in a key sector: housing. After some questions, the state continued a program that gave some campuses tens of millions of dollars each to build student housing so low-income students could pay lower rents.
The Legislature also maintains California’s main financial aid tool, the Cal Grant, which covers tuition at the University of California and California State University and awards approximately $1,650 in cash to eligible community college students.
did.
This program has expanded in 2021 to expand access to more than 100,000 community students at his College who were previously ineligible due to age or semester restrictions.
But the plan to expand California aid to an additional 150,000 low-income students can only be implemented if next spring’s revenue projections show California can afford it.
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CSU Aid Falls Short
Meanwhile, lawmakers pushed to expand middle-class scholarships. It’s a revamped state program launched this year that awards California State University and California State University students an average of $2,000 to $300,000, not community college students.
However, additional state funding is not sufficient to fully fund the academic mission of California State University.
In a sign of fear on the part of its trustees, the system reported in May that it was short $1.
5 billion a year to adequately educate more than 400,000 students. So this system he did the same thing that UC did two years before him. 4,444 schools approved multi-year tuition increases. California State University’s price increases, totaling 34% over five years, will go into effect next fall, but will not affect about 60% of undergraduate students.
That’s because their financial aid covers the full cost of tuition. Still, students within the system were angry and protested violently. Standing with California State University students were the system’s workers, including the California Teachers Union, California’s largest union, and its 29,000 members.
Although the scheme has been agreed with most staff unions, relations remain at an impasse with the teachers’ union, which in October gave the leadership the green light to call a strike if necessary.
How to spend money at community college is a problem. The 116 campuses are bound by a law that requires them to spend half of their primary state aid on education.
However, since 1961, when this rule was implemented, student needs have evolved.
Things like internet access, books, and emergency food assistance don’t fall under the so-called 50% rule. Universities are slowly recovering from the enrollment slump they have suffered since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They are also experimenting with new teaching methods, such as eliminating classrooms, to attract more students.
Key Issues 2024
Governors and lawmakers have vowed over the past two years to expand funding for public universities and provide financial aid to more students.
These promises came amid an unprecedented decline in sales.
With the state now looking at budget deficits, there are questions about whether California can continue to increase its public university education budget while implementing a plan to expand financial aid primarily to community college students is occurring. A labor dispute could engulf the university as California State University faculty threaten to go on strike.
Admissions issues at system and community colleges also remain an issue.