The California State University will avoid a $250 million mid-year budget cut after voters’ approval of Proposition 30, and will start the process of rescinding the $249 per semester tuition fee increase already in place.

With the passage of Proposition 30, CSU’s budget will essentially remain flat for the remainder of this fiscal year, but state funding is still approximately $1 billion less than several years ago.

“We are hopeful that the passage of Proposition 30 will be the beginning of the state’s reinvestment in higher education,” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. “The long term benefits of additional revenue can only be realized if higher education is once again a priority.  The state needs to start making up for the devastating budget cuts of the past several years, and focus on higher education as a driver of California’s economic future.”

Fresno State President John D. Welty thanked voters for their support of the measure and noted the importance to Central California, where the college-going rate is below the state average.

“We need to increase the number of college graduates in our region and stability in state funding is key,” Welty said. “We know there is a demand in Central California for a college education – at Fresno State we admitted our largest-ever freshmen class this fall. Now we can look forward to maintaining our capacity to serve qualified new students next year,” Welty said.

He said there still are challenges ahead, since state funding remains below the levels of previous years. Fresno State is operating with $15 million fewer dollars than in 2008-09.

The CSU Board of Trustees had previously approved a contingency plan to rescind a $249 per semester tuition fee increase that took effect for the fall 2012 term.  Annual tuition fees for full-time undergraduate students will now revert back to $5,472 – the same rate as in the 2011-2012 academic year.  Students will either be credited, refunded or receive a reconfigured financial aid package to account for the revised tuition fee rates.

Campus enrollments will rise slightly for fall 2013 with CSU able to serve an additional 10,000 to 15,000 students or approximately 435,000 students.  The system had held applications from new students pending the outcome of Proposition 30, which has a direct impact on funded enrollment targets.  Campuses will immediately begin to review applications for new student admissions for the fall.