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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Institutions need to do more to close the higher education graduation gap for Native Americans, according to a new report.
The report notes at just 25%, Native Americans have the lowest college-going rate of any racial group in the country.
Cheryl Crazy Bull - the president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, who helped author the report - recommended states set specific higher education goals, focused on increasing Native participation.
She added that they should prioritize direct engagement with tribes and schools to provide resources, as well as expanding recruitment practices.
"Those practices," said Crazy Bull, "can often exclude Native students who live in reservation rural areas as well as urban Native students."
In 2022, Oregon made public universities free for Native students enrolled in one of the state's nine federally recognized tribes through the Oregon Tribal Stewardship Grant.
The program has been gaining steam over the years - but the graduation gap, made larger during the pandemic, has not closed.
While Crazy Bull said financial barriers play a big part in preventing native people from accessing higher education, she added that not all issues can be solved with money.
"How do institutions create a place or a sense of belonging for students?" said Crazy Bull. "That's just a constant effort."
Crazy Bull added that even before the new administration, anti-DEI practices were harmful to Native students' experiences.
Native students can apply for the Oregon Tribal Student Grant until April, as long as funds are available.
To qualify for the grant, they must be accepted for enrollment at an Oregon college or university.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.
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New York State is making historic higher education investments.
As part of the 2026 budget proposal, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposes free community college for people ages 25 to 55. Not only would it cover tuition costs, but also books, supplies and other fees. Implementing the measure would allow New York to join a legion of states with similar policies.
Jeff Smink, deputy director of The Education Trust New York, predicted it would bolster the growing semiconductor workforce and other high-demand fields.
"To get some of these high-paying jobs, you need a skilled workforce," Smink pointed out. "I think the investment in community colleges -- and SUNY (State University of New York), CUNY (City University of New York) -- is going to help get us that workforce, particularly for students of color, students from low-income backgrounds that might not have had these opportunities in the past."
It is one thing to get into college, but it is quite another to finish. Money is often the reason people do not finish and student loan debt can hold people back from making bigger financial moves. The Education Data Initiative reported New York has around 2.5 million student loan borrowers with nearly $95 billion in student loan debt.
College investments can only benefit people with a strong educational foundation. Smink noted free community college could reduce the number of students who have to take remedial college classes since they did not get the same knowledge in high school. He thinks New York's budget proposal needs more investment in literacy instruction.
"Part of the problem is students who are getting their teaching certification are not taught how to teach reading aligned with the science," Smink contended. "There's some efforts happening there but we'd have liked to see some funding to help SUNY teacher preparation programs align their instruction, so that when teachers get into the classroom they're already prepared and won't need any extra support or reteaching."
New York State has one of the worst literacy rates in the country. National scores for the state's fourth and eighth grade students show declines in reading and math proficiency which have continued to slip since the pandemic.
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Samford University in Birmingham is paving the way for students to have meaningful conversations and foster connections across cultural and ideological divides, a skill to serve them long after graduation.
Research has shown political polarization can make people hesitant to engage with those with different opinions.
Jonathan Thigpen, associate professor and assistant dean of the McWhorter School of Pharmacy at Samford, said he has dedicated more than a decade to addressing the challenge with people studying to be pharmacists. Thigpen believes the key to equipping them to better relate to all types of patients is to inspire interest and prepare them to take the first step.
"In doing so, of course, they reflect on their own biases and try to become better," Thigpen observed. "It's all in context of being a good clinical provider for your patients."
Thigpen asks his pharmacy students to explore a culture or environment unfamiliar to them, such as attending a Narcotics Anonymous meeting or visiting a place of worship outside their own tradition. He stressed getting out of their "comfort zones" helps them understand different viewpoints.
However, Thigpen knows fear and discomfort often prevent people from stepping into unfamiliar spaces. So, he encourages the students to research and call ahead before venturing into the new environment, to help them feel welcome and better informed.
"You can learn some of the more practiced skills the more you practice bridge building," Thigpen emphasized. "The more you go out there, interact with those different from yourself."
Thigpen believes his efforts align with broader movements in higher education to promote dialogue and understanding. And he added creating lasting change requires purposeful training and a commitment to bridge-building at every level of academia.
"It takes courageous leaders, especially university presidents, boards of trustees, the higher-up administrators," Thigpen pointed out. "They may have to stick their neck out a little bit, take a little bit more risk, if they view bridge building and making connections as an important part of higher education."
He referenced organizations like the Constructed Dialogue Institute and the Greater Good Science Center as resources for fostering skills.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.
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