Students in Georgia may soon find themselves at a very different-looking campus, as state legislators voiced support recently for a variety of drastic measures to solve the University System of Georgia's budget issues.

On Feb. 24, the state legislature informed the USG that it needs to cut $300 million—on top of $265 million worth of cuts already recommended by Governor Sonny Perdue in his fiscal year 2011 budget. The required cuts are part of an attempted $1 billion reduction of the entire state of Georgia's budget.

On Monday, the USG submitted a budget that cut the swimming program at Gainesville State College, and reduced class offerings at North Georgia College and State University by 20 percent. Under the proposal, half of the University of Georgia's county extension offices would also be closed, and all Georgia 4-H programs would be eliminated. Schools are weighing the unhappy options of raising tuition, reducing enrollment, cutting course offerings, and even laying off tenured professors.

Tuition hikes were not included in the USG's proposal, though several state legislators voiced support for such measures.

Georgia Institute of Technology Chancellor Davis said that to meet the cuts proposed by the state, Georgia Tech would have to increase tuition by 77 percent. He firmly expressed to the state legislator that he is fears the repercussions of a tuition increase or a budget cut of that magnitude.

"Such a reduction would dramatically and negatively alter a University System in which the people of this state have invested so much," wrote Davis. "A reduction of this size is not in the best interest of Georgia and its future economic development."

Alina Staskevicius, the president of Georgia Tech’s undergraduate student government, talked to student newspaper the Technique about the possibility of a 77 percent tuition hike.

“I think that, as students, we understand and even anticipate a tuition hike. It’s only logical in a recession that students help sustain the quality of their education…However, it is absurd to see such an increase.”


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