California State Universities are planning to cut enrollment for the 2013-2014 school year by 25,000 students by closing spring admissions for most of its campuses, according to an article on the CSU website.
The California State University system announced new measures to save money on March 20, including a plan to cut enrollment.
In addition to closing spring admissions, CSU will also waitlist fall 2013 applicants until the outcome of Governor Jerry Brown’s Nov. ballot intuitive is known. These plans are being made to combat a $200 million trigger cut that would take effect in the middle of the school year, according to the article.
“Increases in student tuition fees have not made up for drastic state funding cuts to the CSU,” said Robert Turnage, CSU assistant vice chancellor for budget, to the CSU. “The university system is still a half-billion dollars in the hole and if this trigger cut goes into effect, we will be at the same level of state funding as 1996, but serving 90,000 more students.”
“[This] doesn’t motivate students because they can’t get anywhere anyway,” said Mariam Ayub.
The 39-year-old marketing major said she had overhead several students talking about the new measure.
“I can tell they’re stressed,” Ayub said.
As Cosumnes River College’s transfer counselor, it’s Emily Barkley’s job to help students get on track to attend the college they want.
Although Barkley sees the point of view of the CSU system, she is more concerned for community college students.
“It makes it that much harder for students to transfer,” she said.
“This is not affecting legislators, they still have a job. Students bear the brunt [of the budget cuts],” Barkley said.
Ayub shares Barkley’s views on the current budget situation
“There are better ways to cut down then taking it from schools and other social programs,” she said.
Accounting and business major Olessia Tchijova says transferring will be harder in general for all students.
“It’s either stay, building up education here, or risk being put on a waitlist,” the 20-year-old said.
Barkley urges students to get through the community college system quicker.
“Students need to plan ahead and plan early,” she said.
Ayub says that college should help students prepare themselves for the workforce by helping them find internships.
“It seems like all the opportunities I had, students here don’t have that,” she said.
However, there is still a chance for transferring students.
Eight CSU campuses will only take applicants from community college transfer students who complete the Associate Degree for Transfer, recently implemented by Senate Bill 1440, according to the article.
“SB 1440 could help students transferring to a CSU,” Barkley said. However the bill only covers five majors at CRC: communications, psychology, social science, math and physics.
But, Barkley still urges students to figure out what they want, and fast.
“People tend to put things off and we’re suffering the consequences of that,” Barkley said.