Major cuts could be coming to Connecticut State Colleges and Universities if the appropriations budget gets approved. It is calling for more than $335 million in cuts over a span of two years.
Individual community colleges and university leaders as well as students are pleading with state legislators for fewer cuts.
Right now, they pride themselves on being affordable for people across the state, regardless of their income level. Seventy-two cents of every dollar comes from state funding and 28 cents comes from tuition and fees.
If the proposed budget were approved, the president of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities said it would lead to 650 full-time employees being laid off, 3,000 part-time positions being eliminated and fewer services like mental health counseling and academic advising.
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They would also be forced to increase tuition. It would be a five-percent tuition increase per year at the community college for the next two years and a five-percent increase at the universities for 2024-2025 school year.
“Shutting down high cost programs will be unavoidable, but those high cost programs in manufacturing and healthcare, they’re the ones producing the critical talents that Connecticut needs," said CSCU President Terrence Cheng.
They also mentioned that not all campuses would sustain these cuts and some may have to close, which would have a negative impact on the cities or towns they are in.
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The Office of Policy and Management released a statement on Monday saying in part:
"Governor Lamont has demonstrated a very clear commitment to appropriately funding our state colleges and universities to ensure that our businesses have the workforce they need to build growth and opportunity. His proposal for the next biennium represents a 27 percent increase in baseline appropriations and a 55 percent increase in total state funding, worth $334 million, over when he took office. That significantly increased support combined with the system’s substantially declining enrollment means state funding per student would – assuming enrollment remains level rather than declining further – nearly double from $7,418 in 2018 and 2019 to $14,290 in 2024 and 2025."
Office of Policy and Management Secretary Jeffrey Beckham said CSCU's 2030 proposal is "unrealistic, unstainable and lacks a cohesive strategic plan guiding operations and investments that would lead to financial sustainability. He added that there needs to be an assessment of the actual needs for the system in responding to the market where it operates.
"The Governor’s budget proposes $250,000 for an evaluation to assist CSCU in developing realistic recommendations as to how CSCU assets can be best leveraged to make the right investment in the right places," he added in part.
