SANTA CRUZ – Facing growing decifit, UC Extension will close its Santa Cruz office and with it, two programs that will affect more than 2,000 students.

Officials overseeing the University of California, Santa Cruz's Extension programs says the closures are planned for the spring, after the English Language International and Science Illustration courses are over.

Students and staff were upset as they started learning of the cuts on Tuesday.

The closures will free up about $1 million a year, which will help service the $30 million debt owed by UCSC Extension. The extension is supposed to be self-supporting, but in recent years had borrowed money to survive.

Information from: Santa Cruz Sentinel, www.santacruzsentinel.com