Financial aid applications are down 25% compared to past years. Although application information has not been shared with immigration or other agencies in the past, many fear that will change.
The Cal State system is bracing for a cut of $375 million — a result of rising costs and declining enrollment. University officials warn of fewer classes and faculty layoffs.
The federal funds, known as “indirect costs,” help universities maintain expensive labs and other infrastructure. Trump’s administration seeks to cut that funding by roughly half the current amount.
National and California experts say Trump’s mass deportation plans make filling out the federal financial aid application for college a risk to students with undocumented parents. California’s own application has more safeguards.
Cal State officials are projecting a 2025-26 budget hole of about $400 million to $800 million and warning of layoffs and cuts to academic programs. San Jose State has cut $55 million the past two years, by not hiring new staff and avoiding replacing non-faculty job openings.
Lawmakers approved two bills to allow some community colleges to provide bachelor’s degrees in nursing, but California State University already offers these degrees.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest budget proposal cuts the Middle Class Scholarship to $100 million. The Legislature wants to provide more than $900 million for it.
Two major forces are at play: Gov. Gavin Newsom scaled back his promise of increased financial support for Cal State, while university officials agreed to 5% salary increases earlier this year.
Responding to a federal financial aid glitch, Caliifornia legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom within two weeks gave students an additional month to apply for state aid.
Members of the California Faculty Association approved a two-year agreement that the union and administration hammered out after a strike last month that lasted one day.
The proposal would have meant challenging a federal law that bars employers from hiring undocumented immigrants. Advocates requesting the change argue that the University of California, as a state agency, is exempt from that law.
After months of negotiations, university officials and the faculty union remain far apart on key contract terms. Cal State provided a 5% general raise; the union wants 12% this year.
