Colorado State University’s system board approved a fiscal 2027 budget that trims spending across both its Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses, using layoffs and position eliminations to close structural gaps. The cuts include “strategic cuts” at the Fort Collins campus and additional measures at CSU Pueblo tied to a smaller structural deficit. The board’s actions come as Colorado keeps higher education funding flat and caps tuition increases for in-state students, leaving campuses to manage growing cost pressures. Officials said the austerity response is intended to protect student services and financial aid coverage for students with greater need. CSU Pueblo also announced layoffs equivalent to nearly nine full-time staff positions, closed vacant positions, reorganized units, and reduced its athletics budget—while raising tuition rates for both in-state and out-of-state students. For students and faculty, the decisions signal that “flat funding” is increasingly turning into real-term reductions through staffing and program reprioritization rather than operational efficiency alone.