The passage of the $15 billion bond measure on Super Tuesday doesn't mean California's universities are free from budget cuts next fiscal year.

However, the bond does mean the cuts will be more predictable and less severe.

"This provides more security for the direction we are headed," said Cal Poly Pomona President Michael Ortiz on Wednesday.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget relied on voters approving Proposition 57, the Economic Recovery Bond. Without the $15 billion bond, the state's working capital would have been greatly reduced, and colleges and universities would have likely faced worse cuts than the hundreds of millions of dollars they are already bracing to lose, officials said.

According the the governor's proposed budget, the California State University system stands to lose $240 million in state funding, and the University of California stands to lose $372 million.

"Without the economic recovery bond authorized by Propositions 57 and 58, the state would have been forced into deeper budget cuts that could have further diminished what the university is able to accomplish for our students and for the people of our state," University of California President Robert C. Dynes said in a written statement. "The budget cuts that have occurred already at the university are very deep."

Like other Cal State campuses, Cal Poly Pomona must reduce enrollment by 5 percent next fall. This fiscal year, Cal Poly's Associated Students Inc. predicts a $66,000 reduction of student fees staggered by an enrollment decline.

The student body group uses such money for student events and scholarships, among other activities during the school year.

Even though ASI faces more reductions next fiscal year, the passage of Prop. 57 and its partner Prop. 58 allows ASI to plan, said Jason Dyogi, ASI president.

"Now that that has passed we have something real, something tangible to work with," he said.

The passage of Proposition 55, though by a margin of less than 1 percentage point, also resonates well with educators.

Money from the $12.3 billion bond will be used to renovate and build facilities at public schools, colleges and universities.

Chaffey College plans on receiving $8 million of Prop. 55 money to renovate the Health Science Complex, said Peggy Cartwright, spokeswoman for the college.

"Of course we are excited," she said. "It allows us to do additional projects."

Cal Poly stands to receive $22 million from Prop. 55 to renovate the oldest classroom building on campus, Ortiz said.

Even though Cal Poly will benefit from the narrowly approved proposition, Ortiz was more worried about the K-12 schools losing the money.

"We depend greatly on the quality of students from the public schools," he said. "By passing Prop. 55, this allows the public schools to make sure the physical infrastructure doesn't impede the student experience."