Spring Break
Budget cuts and enrollment growth come at bad time
Corinne Speckert
Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: News
SJSU Enrollment Services counted an increase in both freshman and transfer applicants since last year, but because of heavy budget cuts across the CSU system, SJSU doesn't have the money to accommodate this growing number.
"We have too many applications and not enough money for them," said Pat Lopes Harris, SJSU media relations specialist. "The problem is that we're getting more applications and there's more qualified students meeting the requirements, and what are we going to do? We're still trying to figure it out."
On Oct. 30, the CSU system received 138,000 more applications than on the same date last year. SJSU alone counted a 4 percent increase in freshman applications and a 19 percent increase in transfer applicants. But because of the school's plan to admit 2,000 to 3,000 less students in attempts to accommodate these ever-growing budget cuts, SJSU can no longer fulfill its promise to provide education to all qualified applicants.
"The problem facing the president of SJSU, the chancellor and the governor, is that the chancellor says we need to increase state revenue to fulfill the promise that students can go to college," Lopes Harris said. "We'll do our best to accommodate as many as we can, (but) I know that overall we're looking to decrease enrollment between two and three thousand."
Teresa Ruiz, public affairs communication specialist, said the entire CSU system has experienced growth.
"There's been a 12 percent spike for the system for first-time freshman applications," she said. "(We have a) promise to admit as many students as we can afford, but it all depends on funding."
Ruiz further said that the CSU system plans on admitting 10,000 less students for next Fall.
"We are expecting to admit 10,000 less students overall because we're not getting funded for the growth that we've projected," she said. "Without that funding we have to close our doors and that means that potentially 10,000 students won't be able to go to a CSU."
"We have too many applications and not enough money for them," said Pat Lopes Harris, SJSU media relations specialist. "The problem is that we're getting more applications and there's more qualified students meeting the requirements, and what are we going to do? We're still trying to figure it out."
On Oct. 30, the CSU system received 138,000 more applications than on the same date last year. SJSU alone counted a 4 percent increase in freshman applications and a 19 percent increase in transfer applicants. But because of the school's plan to admit 2,000 to 3,000 less students in attempts to accommodate these ever-growing budget cuts, SJSU can no longer fulfill its promise to provide education to all qualified applicants.
"The problem facing the president of SJSU, the chancellor and the governor, is that the chancellor says we need to increase state revenue to fulfill the promise that students can go to college," Lopes Harris said. "We'll do our best to accommodate as many as we can, (but) I know that overall we're looking to decrease enrollment between two and three thousand."
Teresa Ruiz, public affairs communication specialist, said the entire CSU system has experienced growth.
"There's been a 12 percent spike for the system for first-time freshman applications," she said. "(We have a) promise to admit as many students as we can afford, but it all depends on funding."
Ruiz further said that the CSU system plans on admitting 10,000 less students for next Fall.
"We are expecting to admit 10,000 less students overall because we're not getting funded for the growth that we've projected," she said. "Without that funding we have to close our doors and that means that potentially 10,000 students won't be able to go to a CSU."
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