How the US House, California State Government, and environmental organizations have responded to the decision
On January 10, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the state budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, revealing major changes in funding for the state’s higher education compared to last year.
Both University of California and California State Universities have been feeling the pressure of the increasing financial burden as they both face cost cuts, forcing them to cut back on spending and reduce student enrollment in future years.
According to the University of California, the system will face a decrease of 396 million dollars in funding, which can cause an increase in class sizes, decrease in course offerings, and decreased academic support. UC’s top academic officer, Katherine Newman, said, “University of California cannot afford to continue increasing enrollment with less funding, it just can’t. If the state cuts the university by 8%, we will be forced to decrease enrollment for the fall of 2026 admission cycle.”
The California State University System has stated that the budget will decrease their funding by roughly 375 million dollars, resulting in similar problems faced by the University of California.
Following the reduction in funding cuts, CSU Chancellor Mildred García said, “Also encouraging is the fact that a majority of the state’s legislature has expressed its commitment to rejecting budget cuts to California public higher education. We look forward to working with the governor and the state legislature to ensure that the final budget reflects this expressed commitment” (The Daily Californian)
CSU Chancellor Mildred García said, “Larger class sizes, fewer course offerings and a reduced workforce will hinder students’ ability to graduate on time and weaken California’s ability to meet its increasing demands for a diverse and highly educated workforce. Communities that thrive on the CSU’s investments in student learning, service and local partnerships will struggle if the university system’s resources are diminished.”
In response to these concerns, Governor Newsom released a revised version of the original state budget on May 14, 2025, which reduces the eight percent funding cut to about three percent, alleviating the financial burden on California’s public universities.
University of California President Michael V. Drake said, “We are deeply grateful to Gov. Newsom for recognizing the value of the University of California’s contributions to our state in the May Revise. His proposed budget minimizes cuts to vital student support services and preserves critical investments like affordable student housing construction.”
UC President Michael V. Drake and CSU Chancellor Mildred García have expressed their gratitude and commitment to work with the state government to ensure a stable budget for future academic years.
Eagle Era 
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