SACRAMENTO, California — On Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers opposed Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal to allocate $20 million in funding to the California College of the Arts (CCA), a small private college in San Francisco.
All four members of the education finance budget subcommittee voted against the funding request, citing concerns about prioritizing a private institution while cutting public universities.
The CCA, which serves approximately 1,280 students, recently received $45 million in donations, with half coming from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
In contrast, Newsom’s January budget proposes an 8% funding cut and more than $200 million in deferrals for the University of California and California State University systems.
Assembly Education Chair Al Muratsuchi questioned the optics of funding one private college while reducing funding for public institutions.
Muratsuchi went on: “From an optics perspective…for us to be singling out one private college for $20 million in taxpayer support is not a good look.”
However, some lawmakers have expressed support for the proposal. State Senator Scott Wiener, chair of the Senate Budget Committee, expressed his support, citing the need to counter threats to federal education and science funding.
The subcommittee’s recommendations will be forwarded to the full Assembly budget committee, which will finalize priorities as lawmakers prepare to pass the state budget in June.
Newsom’s revised budget proposal is expected in May. Amanpreet Singh of the Department of Finance described the funding proposal as “unique.”
Founded in 1907, the California College of the Arts offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs with tuition starting at $60,000. Over the last five years, enrollment at the college has fallen by 42 percent, resulting in a financial deficit.
President David Howse told lawmakers that the proposed funding would be used to hire staff and repair infrastructure, describing CCA as a “private institution with a clear public impact.”
Despite the challenges CCA faces, some legislators expressed a preference for prioritizing public education in the funding process.
Assemblymember David Alvarez emphasized the Assembly’s commitment to public institutions, citing CCA’s smaller deficit as compared to the proposed $20 million funding request.
CCA’s struggles are not unique; other arts schools in San Francisco face similar challenges. Last year, the San Francisco Art Institute declared bankruptcy, owing $20 million before being purchased by a nonprofit led by Laurene Powell Jobs.
State funding for private colleges in California is uncommon, with recent examples including a $50 million allocation to Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and a $5 million appropriation to the California Indian Nations College.
Legislative staff indicated that previous funding efforts had clear statewide relevance, raising doubts about this new proposal.
