NewJerseyNewsroom.com
March 23, 2010
Here
is the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and
Universities' preliminary statement on the FY 2011 state
budget proposal:
The FY 2011 budget proposal would reduce direct
operating support to the state colleges by about $50
million, or 15 percent, compared to the FY 2010 budget
(which included federal stimulus funds).
We also find it incomprehensible that this proposal
zeroes out support for Thomas Edison State College,
which is a unique, highly cost-effective institution
providing undergraduate and graduate education to over
18,000 highly motivated learners. It is unfortunate that
the governor and legislature face such difficult funding
decisions at this time in
This proposal would cause a significant blow to higher
education opportunity in a state that has been going in
the wrong direction in support of higher education for
many years. During FY 2005-FY 2009,
| n |
3rd nationally in full-time equivalent student
enrollment growth; |
| n |
49th in revenue per full-time equivalent student
(appropriations and tuition); and |
| n |
47th in appropriations for full-time equivalent students
(Source: SHEEO, 2010). |
At stake are the future of quality, affordable,
four-year college opportunity for
The proposal funds the nine state colleges with about
the same number of dollars they received in the mid
1990's — not adjusted for inflation. At that time, the
institutions had 25,000 fewer students.
Another particularly difficult matter is the anticipated
cost of state negotiated salary increases, estimated to
be $30 million for the nine member institutions. No
state funding is provided in the budget proposal to help
institutions pay these state-mandated increases. The
total funding loss over the past twelve years equals
$175 million.
These cuts make all the more urgent the need for the
governor and legislature to help eliminate costly and
unnecessary red tape affecting the colleges and to bring
an end to mandates that cost the colleges millions of
dollars at the expense of service, opportunity and
affordability.
Fortunately, the budget proposal recognizes the need for
these remedies, supported by NJASCU institutions,
related to civil service, workmen's compensation and
collective bargaining.
— ANDY LAGOMARSINO, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Source:
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/nj-state-colelges-claim-christies-budget-proposal-a-blow-to-higher-education.html