Welcome to "Budget Central." This information has been created to provide our campus community the latest news about California's budget situation and its impact on the California State University and CSU Bakersfield.

2008-09 Budget Update and Systemwide Impaction (November 2008)

The 2008-09 Budget Act provides the same level of state funding for the CSU as it received in 2007-08, which is $215 million less than its operational needs. This means no funding was provided for enrollment growth or increased operational costs.

In addition, Gov. Schwarzenegger has proposed reducing the CSU's current year budget by $97.6 million, which includes an earlier requested $31.3 million one-time reduction. These cuts come as the state tries to close an estimated $11.2 billion deficit.

Because of the deteriorating state budget, for the first time in CSU's history, a systemwide impaction has been declared. Simply put, impaction means that the CSU has more fully eligible applicants than it is able to support with its current funding. It is estimated that the CSU is currently providing access to 10,000 students for whom it receives no state funding. Declaring system-wide impaction will require CSU campuses to manage student enrollment down to the level for which it receives funding by applying additional admissions criteria.

At CSU Bakersfield, the systemwide declaration will have little impact. We will not be reducing the number of students on our campus. In fact, we can accommodate a small growth in enrollment. We will continue to admit all eligible first-time freshmen and qualified upper division transfer students. We will continue to accept applications for first-time freshman through March 1, 2009.

However, like all CSU campuses, we cannot admit more students than the state has funded. We must be able to provide adequate classes, instruction, support services and facilities. The quality of our educational program and experience for students is paramount. CSUB will still continue to admit all eligible first-time freshmen and qualified transfer students.

The information below summarizes the ongoing budget activity and its impact on the CSU and CSUB.

2008-09 Final Budget Action (September 2008)

Thanks to the sustained efforts of CSU supporters, state funding for the system and its 23 campuses was held at 2007-08 budget levels. While this may appear to indicate no forward progress in meeting the 21st century challenges confronting the nation's largest institution for baccalaureate and master's degree education, achieving a statewide commitment to reverse $97.6 million of previously recommended cuts to the CSU budget represents a key accomplishment in an extremely weak and hostile fiscal environment.

While welcome under the circumstances, the approved state budget still places major funding challenges upon CSU. State funding for the university's budget remains flat between fiscal years, even though the Governor's workload budget identifies additional needs of roughly $215 million, given our mandatory costs, enrollment growth and compensation lags for our employees.

For more information about the budget and its impact on the CSU:

Final Budget Action

CSU News Release

Proposed Cuts to 2008-09 Budget

Letter to employees from Chancellor regarding $31.3 million in cuts (Oct. 23)

CSU's response to state regarding the budget reduction (Oct. 28)

Governor's proposed budget reductions include mid-year cuts to CSU

Letter to employees from Chancellor regarding budget (Oct. 30)

2009-10 Budget

CSU's 2009-10 budget request to the state

CSUB Approved Campus Budget for 2007-08

Local news and information

CSU news and information

Budget and legislative resources

How you can help

Whether you are a student, a parent, a graduate, a faculty member, staff member or friend of the university, you can help CSUB and the California State University at this critical time. We need you to be the voice of CSUB to let California's legislators know how this university has made a difference to you, to our region and to our state.