Leaders of the University of California and California State University systems are warning a proposed budget cut of almost 8% for next year could lead to larger class sizes, fewer course offerings and staff reductions unless it is reversed.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's January budget proposal would technically defer the funding for two years.

Josh Hagen, vice president of policy and advocacy for the Sacramento-based Campaign for College Opportunity, noted schools are prepared for the proposed reduction.

"In last year's budget, the governor and legislature said, 'You need to be prepared for an 8% systemwide cut.' This budget affirmed that systemwide cut is coming," Hagen acknowledged. "The silver lining is that it's a one-time cut; it is not ongoing but that's still going to be felt."

The governor proposes to invest more than $45 billion in higher education as a whole, slightly less than last year. Community colleges will get a cost-of-living increase of just over $230 million, as a result of Proposition 98. The Legislature has until June to pass a balanced budget.

Hagen is convinced the California economy is slowly moving in the right direction.

"We're turning the corner. We're not fully around it yet," Hagen stressed. "It's about making sure colleges and universities are able to maintain program services for students as we're looking towards a multiyear economic recovery."

Hagen noted the budget proposal includes $5 million to create a coordinating council so the University of California, California State University and community college systems can better react to events like a natural disaster or financial downturn in the future.


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Two blind students are suing West Virginia University.

They allege the school has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not providing blind students with accessible course materials and educational technology required to complete their degrees.

The lawsuit focuses on a lack of reasonable accommodations, including coursework that can be used with screen readers.

The students say this has prevented them from completing their masters degrees in social work on time.

Attorney Eve Hill -- with law firm Brown, Goldstein, Levy -- is representing the students, along with the National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia.

"Many of the platforms that it uses don't function with screen readers that blind people use to access websites," said Hill. "Many of the documents they provide to study from are not accessible and don't work with screen readers."

A news release from the Federation of the Blind says the lawsuit comes after repeated complaints and requests to the university. A WVU spokesperson said the school cannot comment on pending litigation.

Hill added that field placement opportunities should also be provided with reasonable accommodations for blind students and others with disabilities, to give social workers real-world training and experience.

"It's really put them in a terrible bind as they're trying to move on to their careers as social workers," said Hill. "My clients are amazing. They want to be social workers in West Virginia, they really want to give back to the community."

Hill pointed out that a lack of accommodations for people with disabilities on college campuses is a widespread issue.

"These are all fixable problems, and they can all be fixed before the blind student shows up," said Hill. "And so, lots of colleges across the country have also implemented policies and procedures that make this work."

The National Federation of the Blind advises incoming college students to be proactive in contacting their school's office of services for students with disabilities, and requesting a consultation to discuss the accommodations they'll need before they begin their first semester.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

Educators at Iowa State University are creating a new major to meet what they see as a new and growing demand in the health care field: pairing medical knowledge with business and "people skills."

Iowa State is launching an integrated health major, which goes beyond the so-called hard, science-based skills medical professionals usually get to include the "softer skills."

Yanhai Yi, professor and chair of the Department of Genetics, who helped develop the curriculum, said there is a tremendous need.

"The health care occupation is projected to grow by 15% from 2021 to 2030," Yi pointed out. "There's a strong need. In the United States, health workers need to be increased by about 1 million in the next 10 years."

The integrated health major will focus on wellness from multiple angles, with classes in life sciences, behavioral and social sciences, data gathering and the humanities. According to Yi, it is designed to create more well-rounded health care professionals, something he argued the medical field has been lacking.

Yi noted there has been so much interest in the new program, some Iowa State students are switching majors to take advantage of the future demand created by meshing the traditional hard sciences with the people skills health care professionals need to be compassionate, as well as training them to be business savvy.

"That not only understand the scientific part of health, but also understand the social aspect, ethical aspect of human health," Yi explained.

There appears to be high demand for the new major, not just in Iowa but nationwide. Only a handful of universities offer integrated health majors and all of them are relatively new.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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Minnesota officials have launched a new portal, asking parents, students and others to share how they are affected by the Trump administration's aggressive approach to reduce federal education support. Fears persist about the student loan impact.

Last month, the White House followed through on its pledge to begin dismantling the Department of Education and shift responsibilities to other agencies, including management of student loans for roughly 43 million borrowers.

Mike Dean, executive director of the Minnesota think tank North Star Prosperity, worries about the potential for a rocky transition. He said more confusion could deter people from pursuing higher education.

"When you don't have that customer support on the other end, students are not going to be able to really complete the application process," Dean explained. "I think we're going to see fewer and fewer students go to college."

He pointed out the scenario unfolded when a series of glitches hampered the overhaul of the federal student aid system in 2023. The Trump administration acknowledged Congress will likely have to give its approval on ending the Education Department, meaning it is still active. But Dean noted many staffers have been laid off.

For now, advocates said students and parents should keep reaching out to as many resources as possible to get their loan questions answered. Under its Commerce Department, Minnesota does have a Student Loan Advocate to help resolve issues.

Dean emphasized it is important to ensure people who rely on aid to keep their college dreams alive.

"Education isn't just for the wealthy," Dean contended. "It's really a right for everyone, and we know our economy demands it."

There is also a bill in the Minnesota Legislature, which would require more transparency when colleges and universities send financial-aid offers to prospective and current students.

Dean added it is one way to eliminate some of the confusion swirling around the world of college loans right now. As the for the federal action, Republicans have long argued key functions of the U.S. Education Department would be better left to the states.