Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed a bill last Friday that will cut $40 million from Arizona's three state universities.  The budget cuts will result in dramatic reductions in academic programs and enrollment capacity for Arizona State University. The state nonetheless felt the cuts were necessary--State Treasurer Dean Martin said that without a balanced budget, Arizona will be bankrupt by October.

Over 100,000 university students will see the effects of these funding slashes. Of the $40 million cuts, $18.2 will be cut from Arizona State University, and the rest will be cut from the University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University.

The cuts come on the heels of other budget cuts for ASU. According to the university website, the West and Poly campuses had to be reduced to one college each, and four dozen academic programs were closed. Earlier this year, the University said that if the 2010 budget were reduced even further, more than one of the four campuses at ASU would have to be shut down.

On the state of the Arizona budget, Brewer said, “I will not give up on the future of our state…I will not allow the state we all love to fall into the abyss of bankruptcy.”


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