Dealing with state budget cuts, in retrospect, is one of the reasons I'm really glad my undergrad is private. We don't get state funding, but federal ones (in the form of grants for certain programs and student loan subsidies). One of the schools I was looking at for graduate school basically said that because of budget cuts, I could expect NO funding for my time there. I eventually chose another private university for grad, and I'm fully funded. Don't get me wrong, I am a big believer in public education at ALL levels, but sometimes money talks...

College is not for everyone, and I think when parents realize that, more people will be happier in their vocations, and the strain on our state institutions will be lessened.

I give small amounts to my undergrad (just graduated last month), and I want to donate my time by interviewing applicants (we do that) and hosting events for alums. I might not always be able to give my money; I know I can always give my time.

Due to budget cuts here..well..it made me lose my job for the summer. :( If we want to order anything, we have to petition the budget committee, which is always a pain! I think I was told that we lost about $70,000.00 from state cuts...ick.