College Beat

In the latest of our ‘Ask CJN’ series, Cal State Northridge student Isabella Warren asks what colleges are doing to support students on academic probation. That probation status is supposed to be a wake-up call for students, but campuses vary in their approach. Some, we found, are experimenting with new ways to reduce the stigma and retain students.

Tens of thousands of undocumented students in California are potentially eligible for financial aid from the state and public universities. But only 14% of undocumented students actually receive it, according to a recent report by the California Student Aid Commission. Students, counselors and the commission itself are calling for improvements in the application process and greater support for undocumented students trying to navigate it.

Undergraduate student assistants at California State University are mounting a union organizing campaign, calling for more work hours, paid sick time and higher wages.

In the latest installment of our ‘Ask CJN’ series, student reporters with our College Journalism Network answer a reader’s question about menstrual equity. California’s public colleges are required to provide free menstrual products to students as of this school year. But across campuses, the availability of free pads and tampons still varies.

California high school students will be required to pass an ethnic studies class to graduate, starting with the class of 2030. That means the state needs lots of new ethnic studies teachers. But do educators need a special credential to teach ethnic studies? Some ethnic studies advocates say allowing any social science teacher to instruct the subject will lead to watered down and ineffective courses, while school districts argue that flexibility is important if they’re going to fill the roles.

The California Community College Chancellor's Office has $115 million to spend to reduce the burden of textbook costs across its 115-campus system. One approach already being developed by a few community colleges would have campuses publish their own textbooks and course materials.

In our new ‘Ask CJN’ feature, student reporters with the CalMatters College Journalism Network answer readers’ questions about college in California. This week: At a time when California desperately needs nurses, why is it so hard to get into nursing school?

A federal judge last year found that the room scans performed by some remote proctoring software are unconstitutional. But some California colleges continue to use the software, which is designed to prevent cheating in online exams.

Officials hope to double enrollment at Cal Poly Humboldt by 2027. Plans to reserve all on-campus housing for first-years were scaled back last week after current students staged protests – but some returning students may still end up living in hotels or even on a barge. The uproar illustrates the severity of the state's student housing crisis.

Two California community colleges built housing in the last couple of years, with very different approaches. The projects give a peek at the future of student housing as the state rolls out $500 million in grants to build or expand dorms and apartments on a dozen community college campuses.