California Budget

Experts across California agree that college costs hold students back from completing college or completing it in a timely way, keep students from focusing on their studies, and contribute to burdensome levels of debt. With California Governor Gavin Newsom and the State Legislature both keenly interested in reforming California’s financial aid system to reduce these barriers,...

With widespread agreement that college in California is unaffordable, Governor Gavin Newsom has today proposed a critical ‘down payment’ on expanding and strengthening the state Cal Grant program.

After the pomp and pageantry of today’s inauguration, one of new California Governor Gavin Newsom’s first acts will be to release a proposed state budget for 2019-20. News accounts suggest that his first budget will embrace the fact that investing more in education – from preschool through adulthood – must be a priority for California to retain its economic strength...

Much has already been written about higher education in the California budget agreement for 2018-19, the broad parameters of which have been public for days. Yet there are several important provisions for college affordability and financial aid in the budget trailer bill passed today that have flown under the radar and deserve to be elevated.

Key organizations committed to strengthening college affordability and student success in California urged the state Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees to adopt the TICAS proposal for consolidating full-time community college financial aid programs in the 2018-19 state budget.

Over 20 organizations urged California State Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees to increase the maximum Cal Grant B access award, which helps California’s lowest income students at all types of colleges cover critical non-tuition costs including books and supplies, transportation, and living expenses.