A new state spending plan was announced Thursday by California Gov. Jerry Brown.
Both the CSU and UC systems would be set to receive a $250 million increase in state funding should the proposal be agreed upon.
Brown also proposed to cap the amount of quarterly and semester units that can be taken by UC and CSU students. According to Brown’s budget proposal, this would potentially enable students to receive their degree quicker and free space for other incoming students. In the first two years of the proposal, UC students will not be allowed to accrue more than 270 quarterly units and CSU students 180 semester units.
“This policy will encourage students to identify an educational goal and reach it in a timely and efficient way, focusing on the courses necessary to complete their educational goals, while still allowing for some exploration of other subject areas,” the proposal stated.
According to a Jan. 10 news release by the University Office of the President, almost half of the money that UC would receive is revenue that was promised in return for the system’s resolution to forgo a tuition increase, though the UC saw a $750 million reduction in state funding.
In the release, Patrick Lenz, UC’s vice president of budget and capital resources, said that it is important to acknowledge that income from tuition amounted for 38 percent of the budget gap resulting from cuts in state funding.
“The rest of the shortfall was met through spending cutbacks, efficiencies and alternative revenue sources,” he said in the release.
— Muna Sadek
