Because the California State University system has imposed enrollment restrictions in response to state budget cuts, students are now scrambling to submit their fall 2010 applications within the priority application period from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30.

As of Oct. 15, 111,140 freshman and transfer applicants have submitted applications to the CSU system, compared to 62,520 who applied around the same time last year.

“The phenomenon that we’re seeing is really more students applying earlier than it is more students applying,” said Edward Mills, Sacramento State’s associate vice president for student affairs, enrollment and student support.

As of Oct. 15, Sac State received 3,016 freshman and transfer applications, a three-fold increase from the same time last year.

Mills said Sac State will likely receive the same number of freshman applicants as it did last year. Transfer applications, however, will be “significantly higher” because of the closure of spring 2010 admissions.

Twelve of the 23 CSU campuses are impacted for fall 2010. These campuses received far more applications than they can accommodate and will not accept freshman and transfer applications beyond Nov. 30.

Sac State and 10 other campuses are not impacted and will continue admitting until enrollment targets are met.

“We made a decision not to impact the university this year,” Mills said. “What this means is that we kept our admissions criteria the same.”

However, three Sac State undergraduate programs, nursing, graphic design and interior design, have been impacted for several years and have set higher academic standards and supplemental applications as part of the admissions criteria.

The nursing program, for instance, raised the minimum grade point average requirement from 3.0 to 3.3 for fall 2010.

The graphic and interior design programs require portfolios of students’ work and supplemental applications.

“The downside is that some people change majors,” said Mario Estioko, graphic design program coordinator. “The upside is people who make it are guaranteed their classes.”

Although Sac State is not one of the impacted campuses, admissions are still restricted for fall 2010. This means the university will not accept freshman applications beyond Nov. 30. Transfer applicants can apply until March 1. However, applicants who applied within the priority filing period will be given higher priority for admission, Mills said.

“When the state cuts the CSU’s budget, what that did is trigger a reduction in enrollment in the CSU,” Mills said.

Mills said upper-division community college transfer applicants need to apply early to avoid delays in graduation.

“The biggest issue is for students who have already completed all of the courses that they need to transfer in,” Mills said.

Susan Johnson and Amy Bialek, upper-division transfer applicants from Sacramento City College, said they have already filed their applications to Sac State.

“My son told me to apply right away for fall 2010. That’s what I plan to do when I get home today, apply online,” Johnson, who plans to major in sociology, said on Oct. 16.

Bialek, who plans to major in communication studies at Sac State, said she is concerned about not graduating on time.

“I was advised to apply before the deadline and to have a backup plan,” Bialek said.

Kristine Guerra can be reached at [email protected].