The California Strategic Growth Plan
Higher Education

The Higher Education Compact calls for state funding of $345 million per year, per segment, for the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU). The voters approved this level of infrastructure funding for the UC and the CSU through 2007-08 by approving Proposition 1D. In addition to funding for the compact, $200 million was included in Proposition 1D for the expansion of the UC telemedicine program. Telemedicine provides video-conferencing for medical services in rural areas. This enables rural doctors to work with specialists in elite teaching hospitals and provide better treatment to patients. The infusion of infrastructure funding for this program is enabling all five medical schools to create or expand its telemedicine program.

Proposition 1D also provides $750 million per year for the California Community Colleges (CCC), which resulted in a total of $3.1 billion for all of the higher education segments for a two-year period. The SGP proposes to continue this level of state support for the UC, CSU and CCC beyond 2007-08 through additional bond measures on the 2008 and 2010 ballots, totaling $11.5 billion. These funds will be used to meet an increased student enrollment of approximately 130,000 at the UC and CSU campuses and to continue the current level of CCC support. Furthermore, the SGP proposes $70 million (lease-revenue bonds) to help fund new facilities that will place the UC at the vanguard of research into alternative fuels and energy conservation.

Proposed new SGP funding for higher education includes:

  • University of California-$2.8 billion ($2.7 billion general obligation bonds and $70 million lease-revenue bonds). This funding will help the UC system deal with an increased enrollment of approximately 50,000 students over the ten-year vision of the SGP. Facilities must be built or renovated to meet this high level of demand. In addition, $70 million (lease revenue bonds) are provided to ensure the UC becomes the premier institution for alternative energy and fuels research. This includes $30 million for a new energy and nanotechnology Helios Research Facility to conduct research on the conversion of solar energy into a carbon-neutral form of energy and $40 million to establish the Energy Biosciences Institute dedicated to bioscience research.
  • California State University-$2.7 billion (general obligation bonds). This funding will help the system deal with an increased enrollment of approximately 80,000 students over the ten years.
  • California Community Colleges-$6 billion (general obligation bonds). This funding will help the 72 districts who provide services at 110 colleges and 65 off-campus centers provide services to their approximately 2.5 million students.
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CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS for The California Strategic Growth Plan Back to Top

 Public Safety
 K-12 Education
image of black pointing arrowHigher Education
 Flood Control and Water Supply
 Transportation
 Judicial
 Other Natural Resources
 Housing
 Other Public Service
 Accountability
 Affordability
PRINTABLE BUDGET DOCUMENTS Back to Top
Budget Summary - The California Strategic Growth Plan (pdf * - 91K) -
Provides this entire The California Strategic Growth Plan Chapter in pdf format.