News 12 at six o'clock, March 17, 2010

AUGUSTA,Ga---We have new information about budget cuts and the Medical College of Georgia. Things don't look as bad for students, but the same can't be said for employees.

It's intense. It's interactive. It is just another day in the respiratory therapy class at the Medical College of Georgia that is now coming off life support.

""I was gonna fight for what I've put in so far," said student Ashley Strickland. "I wasn't going to walk away without a degree."

The word is still setting in on state leaders decision to no longer slash $26 million from MCG. That cut would have effectively killed Ashley's program.

"You're not okay. You're ok," cried Ashley. "You're not ok. That's just not professional"

Her program was one of several programs on which the state threatened to pull the plug. MCG was facing $4.2 million dollars in programs cuts alone. That won't happen now, but they are not out of the woods yet.

"The only thing that we have taken off the table right now is the fact that we won't eliminate any academic programs going into to fiscal year 2011," said Dr. Barry Goldstein who is Sr. V.P. for Academic Affairs. "[Layoffs] They are not off the table."

The school still expects cuts of as much as $10 million.

"We understand the frustrations and anger of the institution and the community," said Dr. Goldstein.

"We've been told that we should feel like we are safe," said Ashley. "But there is still a lot of people's future in their hands."

The original recommendation was to cut a little more than $300 million. The new estimate about $117 million statewide.