CT State system outlines budget squeeze, community-college leadership consolidation and need for bonding for campus repairs

Leaders of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CT State / CSCU) told the Appropriations Committee on March 5 that systemwide headcount exceeds roughly 66,000 students and that spring-over-spring enrollment rose 6.2 percent, but they also described a budget gap driven chiefly by the loss of one-time federal ARPA appropriations and other carryforwards.

Chancellor and CT State leadership said the system will use reserves, pursue additional revenue through enrollment growth and philanthropic fundraising, and continue reductions in part-time staffing and other operating costs; they flagged a target deficit-mitigation need of roughly $95 million across the biennium and asked the committee for more time to provide institution-level, quarterly budget updates that the system will share with the finance committee and…