California Must Invest in Need-Based Financial Aid in the FY26-27 Budget

This fact sheet contains our analysis of recipients of Cal Grant B and the Middle Class Scholarship (MCS), which serve hundreds of thousands of under-resourced students in California each year. As state leaders weigh a proposed reduction to the MCS as well as an investment to strengthen the Cal Grant B access awards, they should consider that these programs play complementary roles in helping Californians afford college.