Students should know that the University is losing $30 million because of state budget cuts, Student Government Association President Connor McCarthy said Monday.

“Higher education is not something to sacrifice,” SGA Vice President Nicki Batelli said.

SGA wants to raise awareness among students through a public relations campaign, which the organization will launch soon, McCarthy said. Students will have time to mobilize and, if needed, lobby state legislators to decrease the budget cuts planned for the University System of Georgia.

“Our goal is to figure out how students can work to make sure the state allocates as much money to UGA as possible,” McCarthy said.

The Board of Regents outlined a budget reduction plan for the current fiscal year, which began July 1 and ends June 31, 2009, for how Georgia institutions should adjust to 6 percent, 8 percent and 10 percent reductions to their budgets.

The University faces a 6 percent budget cut, which will equal $30 million by June 31, 2009. If the state budget cut rises to 10 percent, the University will have to cut $50 million by the end of the fiscal year.

At a 10 percent reduction, the University would increase layoffs and operating reductions, according to the Board of Regents budget reduction plan. At 6 percent, steps would reduce operational support costs and classroom activities and call for layoffs.