In May, the U.S. Department of Education made active strides to improve the overall quality education in America. The Department of Education provided California $3.2 billion for the first phase of its State Fiscal Stabilization Funds.

States that qualify for the assistance are given 67 percent of the total $4.9 billion allocation during the first phase of allocation, according to the Office of the Governor. The SFSF program is a new, one-time appropriation of $53.6 billion of aid under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The Department of Education will award governors approximately $48.6 billion under the SFSF program in exchange for a commitment to advance essential education reforms. These funds will help stabilize state and local government budgets in order to minimize and avoid reductions in education and other essential public services.

In August, Gov. Schwarzenegger petitioned for an advancement of funds. This was taken from the second phase of the SFSF, which was not scheduled to be released until December. The ARRA approved the advance because of a provision making it possible for governors to request the funds if they cite hardship.

On Sept. 15, Schwarzenegger announced that the Department of Education granted the extra $1.3 billion, meaning that California received a total of $4.5 billion for its education system. Higher education received $1.5 billion of the funds to make up for budget reductions made in 2008 and 2009.

The allocation of money has provided California State Universities with an extra $25 million for its 23 campuses to provide additional course sections and classes for students. Statewide, this will allow CSU campuses to add approximately 4,000 additional courses and retain up to 800 lecturers for the winter/spring term. This is the only logical place the money could have gone at this time.

Cal State Fullerton received $1.65 million, which is only a fraction of what the school lost during the budget cuts. The federal aid money has already been allocated creating 264 more classes and secure positions for lecturers for the spring 2010 semester, said President Milton Gordon. The classes that are added will be spread through out the eight colleges to help juniors and seniors satisfy their capstone classes in order to ensure a timely graduation.

The timing of the SFSF is just the thing students need to hear as the school takes steps toward improvements, something students have been asking for. But, the federal aid money is only a temporary fix to a problem that has been building for years.

In a greater attempt to restore the CSU’s $625 million or 21 percent budget cut from the last two years, the CSU Board of Trustees Finance Committee has established a budget proposal for 2010-11 calling for an $884 million increase in state support from the legislature and governor, according to a CSU press release. CSU is asking the state to restore funding of the one-time cut that was imposed this year as well as providing the needed revenue for mandatory costs, compensation and improvements in student services and instruction.

This proposal is a bit ambitious, but if it gets approved by the state, higher education will be given a greater chance to restore its learning opportunities, get rid of faculty furloughs, decrease tuition costs and decrease enrollment cuts. Due to the massive budget cut, CSU expects to reduce enrollment by 40,000 students over the next two years. It is becoming more difficult for prospective students to get accepted into CSUs to receive the education they want. The proposal for an increase in financial support is the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for the CSUs.