In the face of huge budget cuts (to the tune of $312 million as proposed by CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in response to California’s 14 billion dollar budget shortfall), the California university system is cutting enrollment for 2009. The trouble is, more students have applied this year than ever before.

The Hardest Hit
This enrollment cut back is forcing the UC (University of California) and CSU (California State University) systems to reconsider its previous reputation for accepting anyone with a at least a B average. While maintaining–and even raising–academic standards can hardly be seen as a bad thing, students with fewer options for attending colleges may be kept out entirely. Even for those who do make it in this year, financial aid has already been cut, so unless these students get a scholarship, they aren’t getting an education through the UC or CSU systems.

A Wave of UC and CSU Enrollment
It seems that the previously-held belief that these budget cuts would come with a drop in enrollment was incorrect. This year, the CSU and UC systems saw an increase in enrollment, making decreasing admission even more difficult.

It’s no secret that students are getting less for their money than they once were. This depressing fact, when paired with climbing fees, increasingly limited programs, and the newest wave of budget cuts, would seem to point to a drop in enrollment, but this isn’t the case this year. The reason? People tend to go back to school during economically hard times, whether it be because they want to better themselves and improve their employability, or because they are out of work altogether and need something to do.