California State University students are now feeling just how real the current economic crisis is as holds are being placed on financial aid grants.

California is expected to run out of money and must cut payments on a number of programs in order to pay its bills in February.

State Controller John Chiang has said that Cal Grants will be among the programs suspended until legislators find a sloution.

Although actions are being taken to protect students and universities, the holds being placed on grants could still cause problems.

Sacramento State has offered enrollment fee deferments for students with spring financial aid awards. However, students count on financial aid grants for more than just enrollment fees.

“I use my financial aid for everything from food to books to gas to get to school. It is what gets me through the semester,” said Lyndsay Quiring, senior philosophy major.

CSU schools plan to limit student enrollment in 2009 and to provide “short-term emergency loans to needy students on a case-by-case basis,” CSU officials said in press release titled, “California State University to Defer Payments of Fees by Students Affected by Cal Grant Awards.”

Universities must do what they can to keep students enrolled while grants are on hold.

“Many of these students rely on Cal Grants to cover the cost of their education and are the first in their families to attend college. We want to make sure these students can stay enrolled until the state has resolved the budget crisis,” CSU Chancellor Charles Reed said in the press release.

It is already hard enough for many students to afford college even with financial aid.

College involves investing time in an education rather than a paying job, buying books, and paying for transportation or housing near the university.

With so many students depending on financial aid to help them with college expenses, suspending grants could cause a drastic increase in dropout rates.

“Not receiving financial aid would by far dampen my capability to attend classes at the University,” said Leslie Glover, senior government-journalism major.

Students should not be punished for California’s poor decision-making and irresponsible spending.

The future greatly depends on the education of current students. If programs like financial aid grants get suspended because of budget issues, the right to an education will once again become a privilege determined by income.

“I think that the CSU system should be putting pressure on the government to come to a consensus on the budget rather than punish the students who are trying to better themselves. I understand that there is only so much that can be done, but the college education system will suffer if financial aid is withheld,” Quiring said.

While it is obvious that steps are being made to help, more must be done to keep education available to everyone.

California may be in a temporary economic crisis, but education is a long-term investment that must be protected.

Leidhra Johnson can be reached at ljohnson@statehornet