May Revised Budget Summary Reflects Ongoing Base Funding to the CSU

The Governor’s May Revised Budget Summary reflects continued support for making no cuts to the ongoing base funding of the CSU.

However, in his attempt to solve two years of budget problems, which include a $27.6 billion deficit for the 2024-25 budget year and a projected $28.4 billion deficit for the 2025-26 budget years, Governor Newsom is proposing one-time cuts to 260 different state programs and an overall reduction of nearly 8 percent to state operations.

For the CSU, this may mean that – instead of the promised 10-percent budget increase we should receive over the next two years – we would receive no budget increase for the 2024-25 academic year and only a 2-percent budget increase for the 2025-26 academic year. These cuts do not affect our base funding and the planned deferral of $240 million to the 2025-26 academic year.

We are deeply concerned about how these cuts will impact our historically marginalized communities.

A significant cut of $510 million is being made to ongoing funding for the Middle Class Scholarship Program, leaving only $100 million to keep the program going. This will affect hundreds of thousands of students across both the CSU and University of California systems, especially undocumented students or students from mixed-status households, who often rely on these scholarships to obtain an education they might not receive otherwise.

There will also be significant cuts for state and local public health programs, which include in-home supportive services for undocumented individuals. Many community healthcare workers, nurses, and social workers will lose their jobs.

Cutting these one-time funds would eliminate California housing and homeless programs, threatening the health and safety of thousands of our most vulnerable unhoused residents.

In working together with our sibling unions, we must advocate for ways to balance the budget that do not cause irreparable harm to quality education, safe communities, childcare, and affordable housing. CFA members will continue to demand and create a California that is equitable, inclusive, and just for everyone.