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Are Summer School Programs Reaching Students Who Need Them Most?

By Darriya Starr, Niu Gao

Nearly three in ten California students attended summer programs in 2022, on par with the national average. In light of significant disparities in how the pandemic affected learning, we look at participation in these programs and the role new federal and state investments might play in expanding educational opportunities.

blog post

New FAFSA Form May Trigger Drop in College Enrollment

By Selina Gomez, Kevin Cook

Amid problems with the implementation of a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), far fewer California high school graduates have completed this key step to obtaining aid. This could affect college access and affordability in the coming year, especially among low-income students and students of color.

Report

Getting to Graduation on Time at California State University

By Jacob Jackson

Students who take more than four years to graduate incur added costs—from paying extra tuition to forgoing years in the workforce. This report examines how a strategy of taking more courses in the first year at California State University may influence on-time graduation, while exploring how different groups benefit from a full course load.

blog post

Student Homelessness Rises to Pre-Pandemic Levels

By Brett Guinan, Julien Lafortune

Nearly a quarter million K–12 students in California experienced homelessness at some point during the 2022–23 school year. After three years of declines, the state's homeless student population has returned to pre-COVID levels.

Report

Keeping College Affordable for California Students

By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson

California’s financial aid programs reduce tuition for most students. But the state and its higher education institutions can improve college access and success by providing additional aid to lower-income students, addressing growing non-tuition costs, and eliminating barriers that increase the time it takes to earn a degree.

blog post

Reforming Remedial Education in Community College

By Olga Rodriguez, Mina Dadgar

Reforming developmental, or remedial, education is essential to improving students’ success in community colleges. The good news is that there is major support for reform.

blog post

The Pandemic’s Effect on Community College Enrollment

By Jacob Jackson, Cesar Alesi Perez

As COVID-19 began to spread this past spring, course enrollment dropped substantially at California’s community colleges, especially among African American and Native American/Alaska Native students.

blog post

College Admissions in an Era of Uncertainty

By Niu Gao, Hans Johnson

The University of California and the California State University have altered admissions policies to address some of the academic effects of the pandemic and to increase equity in access. What does the early evidence say about the impact of these changes?

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