California's Future: Why Cutting CSU Funding Is a Bad Idea

The California State University system is the biggest public university network in the country. It is home to 23 campuses and seven off-campus centers. Together, they enroll more than 450, 000 students. Most of these students are from California. Many of them are the first in their families to go to college. One of these campuses is San José State University. It welcomes around 37, 000 students each year. It also graduates about 1, 800 engineers annually. That’s nearly 8% of all engineers who graduate in California. It is a big deal. Now, state leaders are thinking about cutting $375 million from the CSU system's budget. This could lead to a $25 million budget reduction at San José State University. Even though the university has strong enrollment and has managed its money well, these cuts could hurt. They might cause up to 4% of state funding at the university to disappear. This would be a big problem. Students might have fewer classes, take longer to graduate, and have less access to important services. These services include academic advising and mental health care. The students who would feel this the most are first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students. These are the students that higher education is supposed to help the most. The cuts could also slow down efforts to grow California’s workforce in healthcare, education, and technology. This could make the state less competitive. For example, California needs more qualified teachers, especially for early childhood education. The proposed cuts could limit the ability to offer training for these teachers. It could also hurt efforts to support mentor teachers. San José State University has a unique program for early childhood education. It combines expertise from child development, general education, and special education. This program prepares teachers to meet the needs of the community’s youngest students. It is a valuable resource. At a time when the demand for healthcare workers is high, cutting CSU funding could slow down or even reverse progress. It could affect programs that graduate nurses, public health professionals, occupational therapists, and medical researchers. San José State University is trying to be resourceful and responsible. But it can’t cut its way to excellence. Shrinking the budget won’t make the results or economic impact grow. Now is not the time for the state to reduce its support for public higher education. State leaders have tough choices to make. But protecting the CSU system is an investment in California’s future prosperity. The workforce, economy, and future of Silicon Valley depend on it.