CSUMB is celebrating largest graduating class, despite state funding cuts

Friday is graduation day at Cal State Monterey Bay. Over the next two days the largest graduating class in the school’s history will receive diplomas. And while the graduates have their eyes set on the future, so does the university, which is facing some significant funding challenges moving forward.

This year 2,321 students will make the well deserved walk down the isle and accept their diploma from Cal State Monterey Bay, but for thousands of others they will have to take a different route.

“Last year we turned away thousands of students who applied and would have been eligible to attend,” said Cal State Monterey Bay President, Eduardo Ochoa.

Unfortunately that’s a worry this year as well.

“The California State University only covers about half of the cost of educating a student with tuition and the rest has to come from the State of California. And the state hasn’t been funding us at the level for us to grow and meet student demand,” said Ochoa.

And in a time when tuition continues to climb across the country, in a bold move the university has decided not to raise theirs , despite the desperate need for funding.

“With what the Governor is proposing in the state budget, we will have to cut 61-million out of the CSU’s budget. We will have to cut programs and not be able to grow at all,” said Ochoa.

Which is why CSU is now making a big push with the legislature to increase their funding.

“We’re hopeful, we’re hopeful,” said Ochoa.

For complete details on CSUMB’S 2018 Commencement click here.