California State University East Bay is one of just 10 campuses in the state university system that is accepting applications for spring 2013 admissions, the chancellor's office announced Monday.

In past years, nearly all of the CSU's 23 campuses were able to offer spring admissions and accepted between 16,000 and 18,000 transfer students, chancellor's office spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp said.

However, system-wide budget cuts and the looming prospect of a $250-million "trigger cut" -- which will be automatically activated if the Proposition 30 tax initiative on the November ballot fails to pass -- are forcing school administrators to make plans to accept fewer students at CSU campuses, Uhlenkamp said.

"The budget cuts have forced us to pare down our enrollment to match available funding," he said.

Only students who have earned an Associate Degree for Transfer from a California community college -- a special degree that was introduced in 2010 -- will be able to apply to limited campuses for spring admission, Uhlenkamp said.

It was not immediately known how many students would be eligible, he said, but the total would be far more restricted than the number accepted
in spring 2011.

The application period opens Aug. 1 and extends through Aug. 31.

CSU campuses that will accept applications in addition to Cal East Bay in Hayward for eligible students are Channel Islands, Chico, Fullerton, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Sonoma and San Francisco.

If Proposition 30 fails to pass, further reductions to enrollment could be made, officials said.

The CSU Board of Trustees is expected to adopt a contingency plan at a September meeting, which could include a mid-year tuition increase, enrollment reductions, and payroll reductions.

Chris Cooney, Bay City News

— Bay City News Service

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