LAKE HAVASU — Arizona State University (ASU) announced on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, that it will close its Lake Havasu campus and implement a tuition surcharge for on-campus students in response to significant state funding cuts. The university also stated that the budget reductions will impact thousands of students through decreased funding for the Arizona Teachers Academy and the Arizona Promise Scholarship Program.
Lake Havasu Campus Closure
The most notable consequence of the state budget cuts is the closure of ASU’s Lake Havasu campus, which is set to shut down in the summer of 2025. The campus, which opened in 2012, currently serves about 225 students and employs 20 staff members. ASU Provost Nancy Gonzales stated that the university will work with affected students to ensure they can complete their degrees either online or at another ASU campus.
The decision to close the Lake Havasu campus has been met with disappointment from local officials and community members. Lake Havasu City Mayor Cal Sheehy expressed his frustration that the community wasn’t given a chance to discuss alternatives to the closure, especially considering the significant investment and effort put into establishing the campus over a decade ago.
Tuition Surcharge and Program Impacts
In addition to the campus closure, ASU will implement a tuition surcharge of approximately $350 for full-time on-campus students starting in the spring 2025 semester. Part-time students will face a proportional surcharge. This move comes despite ASU’s efforts to keep tuition increases below the inflation rate for the past eight years.
The university also expects the budget cuts to impact over 2,600 students through a decrease in funding for the Arizona Promise Scholarship Program, which supports low-income, in-state students. Furthermore, the Arizona Teachers Academy, which covers tuition and fees for students who commit to teaching in Arizona public schools, will serve 800 fewer students due to the funding reductions.
Criticism of State Investment in Higher Education
ASU President Michael Crow strongly criticized the lack of state investment in higher education, emphasizing that the university cannot be expected to expand access to higher education across Arizona without adequate financial support from the state government. He pointed out that the recent budget cuts, amounting to $24 million when considering both direct reductions and decreased funding for statewide programs, put Arizona even further behind in ensuring a skilled workforce necessary for economic advancement.
Crow noted that state funding accounts for less than 9% of ASU’s total budget, a figure that falls significantly short of the national average. According to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, Arizona’s per-capita funding for higher education is among the lowest in the nation, investing less than half the national average.
Broader Implications for Arizona Higher Education
The budget cuts affecting ASU are part of a larger trend of decreased state investment in Arizona’s public universities. The University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University are also grappling with the consequences of the recent funding reductions, with UA working to close a $63 million budget deficit.
This situation has raised concerns about the long-term accessibility and affordability of higher education in Arizona, as well as the state’s ability to produce a skilled workforce to meet the demands of a growing economy.
As the university navigates these difficult circumstances, it is clear that the lack of adequate state investment in higher education will have significant impacts on students, families, and communities across Arizona.
—Jeremy Webb
