LONG BEACH - California's public universities are beginning to plan for another tough budget year ahead, as the state's fiscal crisis promises funding cuts that could close the door on thousands of potential students.

California State University trustees, meeting Tuesday in Long Beach, reviewed budget projections for next fiscal year that one system administrator said will leave the system scrambling to meet increasing student demand with decreasing resources.

University of California regents, who meet today and Thursday in San Francisco, will begin what promises to be a months-long discussion on how the system can maintain educational quality in the face of dwindling state funding.

Regents will look at a variety of options, including restricting enrollment and imposing additional fee increases. One option would impose an across-the-board $1,800 fee increase that officials say will bring UC fees closer in line with tuition charged at comparable institutions across the nation. Still another option would charge wealthy students higher fees.

"We know the state is still in a difficult budget situation and this provides the regents the chance to consider possible options for next year,' said UC spokesman Hanan Eisenman.

California, grappling with a $38.2 billion deficit, passed along deep cuts to both CSU and UC this year, forcing program cuts, staff layoffs and tuition increases of 30 percent in both systems. The increases take CSU's annual tuition to $2,046 and UC tuition to $4,984.

Campuses across California were also forced to restrict enrollments. CSU closed its doors on as many as 29,000 students this spring, and UC said earlier this month that it couldn't even review the applications of 1,600 students who hoped to attend one of its nine campuses this winter.

Officials are bracing for more lean times ahead. The state Legislature has warned that it won't fund enrollment growth for new students next year, and additional budget cuts could be forthcoming.

The state Department of Finance has asked officials to draft scenarios for dealing with a 20 percent budget reduction next year - although such a cut has not been finalized.

For the CSU system, a 20 percent reduction would equate to $482.6 million and would lock the doors on more than 111,000 students, Patrick Lenz, the system's assistant vice chancellor for budget development, told trustees during a budget presentation Tuesday.

Further, Lenz said, a 20 percent reduction could trigger an 89 percent increase in student fees, the loss of nearly 54,000 course sections, and the potential loss of 16,000 faculty and administrative positions.

Lenz's presentation was part of CSU's annual budget preparation process. Trustees in October will be asked to approve CSU's budget for the 2004-05 fiscal year.

So far, CSU officials aren't proposing any additional increases in student fees next year.

"The budget is too fluid to try to recommend that at this stage,' said Richard West, executive vice chancellor and chief financial officer.