UT considers budget fixes

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The University of Texas will host a public forum Tuesday night to talk about money woes.

UT officials have to come up with ways to shed $29 million off the state funded portion of the university's budget. The request came in January from state lawmakers.

Tuesday night, President William Powers was scheduled to address students on the financial solutions including higher tuition costs and closing a legendary music hall on campus.

Under Powers' proposal for tuition, the University would raise tuition about $250 per semester. The 2009 to 2010 tuition rates for an average course load ran $4,500 per semester.

Powers will also address the closing of the 40-year-old Cactus Cafe. Musicians, music fans, and students have organized to save the listening room in the University of Texas Student Union.

Friday, the Union's student board voted to shutter Cafe's doors in August.

University officials have taken a hard line stance on reconsidering their decision.

"It's a painful decision," UT vice president of student affairs Juan Gonzalez said. "We really want to re-purpose the Cactus Cafe so students can benefit from it."

Gonzalez said he did not have a plan for how students would run the venue.

Tuesday's meeting on the budget starts at 4 p.m. in the Avaya Auditorium in the Applied Computational Engineering and Sciences Building at 24th Street and Speedway.