Colleges, students prepare for more budget cuts - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia’s college students will have fewer professors, shorter library hours and less courses to choose from under budget reduction plans approved on Tuesday by the State Board of Regents. These proposed cuts are contingency plans that would be implemented if the economy worsens and state tax collections drop. Gov. Sonny Perdue has already ordered a 4 percent spending cut for most agencies, including the University System of Georgia. The higher education budget started the 2011 fiscal year with $1.92 billion allocated from the state. The 4 percent reduction amounts to a $77 million cut. At 6 percent, the cut will come to $115 million. An 8 percent cut equals $154 million. A 10 percent cut, which would be for the 2012 fiscal year, totals $192 million.