US colleges are cutting majors and slashing programs after years of putting it off

Colleges large and small in the U.S. are cutting programs and eliminating majors to make ends meet. Among their budget challenges: Federal COVID relief money is expiring, operational costs are rising and fewer high school graduates are going straight to college. At St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, officials announced a plan to cut 42 degree programs and 50 minors, music among them. The move has created turmoil for students who chose the campus to study music. Humanities and the arts often top the list of cuts across the country. Some colleges are phasing out the programs. In others, students are abruptly forced to find a new school or change directions.