Democrats' Budget Has More Money For UC, CSU

Don’t expect a California budget deal before the Legislature’s constitutional deadline Monday. Lawmakers will instead vote that day on a plan by legislative leaders that relies on higher revenue estimates to fund several Democratic priorities -- including more money for the UC and CSU systems.

The CSU would get an additional $70 million in the budget proposed by Democratic legislative leaders.

The UC would get an extra $25 million, but that money would come with several strings attached, including in-state enrollment growth and phasing out financial aid for out-of-state students.

The UC says the enrollment mandate would be “impossible for the university to comply with.”  But lawmakers disagree.

“I absolutely think they’re justified,” Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins told Capital Public Radio Thursday. “Now that we are trying to reinvest more in higher education, we want to make sure that California kids are going to reap the benefits of that.”

Gov. Jerry Brown opposes more money for the UC and CSU. In particular, he believes the UC can raise enrollment without extra money from the state.

Correction: Our original story on the Legislature's budget proposal quoted the UC as saying it would be "impossible to comply" with two conditions placed on an additional $25 million earmarked for the university, including the phasing out of financial aid for out-of-state students. The UC now says it's looking into that possibility. It says the Legislature's enrollment mandate is the condition that would be impossible to comply with. We've updated our story to correct this issue.