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State budget shifts leave the CSU with an increase in fundings, yet to be determined where funds will end up. Graphic by Dante Estrada | Long Beach Current<\/p>\n
On Jan. 9, 2026, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his proposed 2026-27 state budget.<\/a> This includes a 5% increase in California State University\u2019s funding, as promised under the state\u2019s multi-year higher education funding compact<\/a>. <\/p>\n Last year\u2019s budget cycle opened with Newsom proposing\u00a0an\u00a08%\u00a0<\/a>cut to CSU<\/a> funding, before the\u00a0revised budget<\/a> reduced it\u00a0to 3%. <\/p>\n In the same proposal, portions of previously promised university funding were pushed into future fiscal years, with the payments being deferred to 2026-27 and 2028-29.<\/p>\n Long Beach State\u2019s Associate Vice President of Budgeting and Administration Kara Perkins oversees the university\u2019s operating budget.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n The operating budget outlines the university\u2019s major revenue sources and expenses, and shows how funding is allocated across campus divisions. Funds are distributed across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Administration and Finance, University Relations and Advancement, Information Technology, Department of Athletics and the President\u2019s office.\u00a0<\/p>\n CSULB\u2019s operating budget revenue is currently 53% state funding, so changes in state support can have a major impact on the university\u2019s finances. <\/p>\n Perkins said the 3% cut affected the university, but because it was relatively small compared to\u00a0 CSULB\u2019s overall budget, the campus was able to absorb it and wasn\u2019t forced to cut any of the divisions\u2019 budgets.\u00a0<\/p>\n CSULB also received additional enrollment-growth funding after money was reallocated from other CSU campuses that did not meet enrollment targets, helping offset the loss. <\/p>\n The CSU Board of Trustees\u2019 plan,<\/a> approved in 2023 to raise systemwide tuition 6% each year for five years, also helped mitigate the costs.<\/p>\n While the CSU system is slated to receive about $365 million in additional state funding under Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s proposed budget, how much of that money CSULB would receive remains unclear; the Chancellor\u2019s Office has not announced how the funding will be distributed across the system\u2019s 23 campuses, Perkins said.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the state is increasing funding for the CSU system this year, Perkins said this might not necessarily be a net positive. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen the state cut the entire CSU budget last year by approximately $143.8 million, they then offered it to us in the form of a loan that we would have to pay back\u2026We still have to pay that back to the state, and so even as we get new money, we still owe them $143.8 million,\u201d Perkins said.<\/p>\n Vice Provost for Academic Planning Dhushy Sathianathan oversees academic and strategic planning, faculty planning and financial planning tied to the Academic Affairs budget. <\/p>\n Sathianathan said about 70% of the division\u2019s budget goes to faculty salaries, with the rest allocated to colleges and units that support Academic Affairs, including the university library, Academic Technology Services, and other academic support programs.<\/p>\n According to Sathianathan, the state has been financially challenged, but CSULB is able to manage it because we can match enrollment to the budget, which helps fulfill the student body\u2019s course needs. <\/p>\n \u201cOur priority is that all of our students have sufficient classes. This campus has done extraordinarily well in making sure course availability is there,\u201d Sathianathan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sathiananthan emphasized that Long Beach State overall does a great job at managing its resources to support student success, and that most of our student success metrics place us in the top three CSUs. <\/p>\n Student success not being financially supported for a long period of time can create fluctuations in course availability, leading to classes becoming unavailable.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think that we have really been able to sustain the momentum of student success,\u201d Sathianathan said. <\/p>\n Jayden Sandstrom is a junior at California State University, Long Beach, majoring in business finance and management. This is his first year with the Long Beach Current, where he serves as a news assistant. Outside of the Long Beach Current, Jayden works part time at a restaurant and is involved with ASI and the University Honors Student Association. After graduation, he plans to attend law school and pursue a career in either entertainment law or corporate law.<\/p>\n![\"Jayden](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/bbc4d4d7291e869e85bb7ab6b946bee09fc29a2f6c5c578d645dd1e2da9cd7d7.jpeg\")
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