Education

Several students sit and stand along a curved stone bench near a staircase on a college campus, looking at their phones or resting quietly. A bed of yellow flowers lines the upper edge of the stone wall behind them. The mood is calm and reflective under overcast skies.

Higher Education

Cal State is still in the red despite tuition increase and spending cuts

Cal State’s budget gap is now $2.3 billion. It's not likely to get any help from the state, which is struggling with its own deficit.

By Mikhail Zinshteyn • July 24, 2025

A group of young children sit in a canoe and paddle down a stream on a river in the middle of a sunny day. Down the river in the background is a group of more children paddling in their canoes.

K-12 Education

Their families keep California farms running. Trump cuts just stripped a ‘lifeline’ from them

Migrant Education programs serve students whose parents work in California’s agricultural fields, dairies, fisheries and timberlands.

By Carolyn Jones • July 23, 2025

A group of students walks and chats in a shaded outdoor corridor between school buildings. Some are looking at papers or phones, while others carry backpacks and wear casual clothing. Sunlight filters through the space, casting shadows along the walkway. The atmosphere is lively and social.

Education

Trump administration releases after school grant money — with a catch

Trump withheld about $7 billion in education funds for various school programs nationwide, including about $800 million for California.

By Carolyn Jones • July 21, 2025

FAFSA fact sheets at College Information Day at UC Berkeley in Berkeley on Oct. 14, 2023. Photo by Juliana Yamada for CalMatters

Education

Why these families are willing to risk deportation for college financial aid

Despite fears the federal government will use personal information from financial aid applications to identify immigrant parents who lack legal status, the number of high school senior applicants from mixed-status families has not decreased as much as some thought it would, according to the California Student Aid Commission.

By Mercy Sosa • July 21, 2025

K-12 Education

‘Like having a hand cut off’: California schools reeling after AmeriCorps cuts

Trump cut AmeriCorps, laying off over 5,600 of California’s public service workers. Because of a lawsuit, the state’s program can restart, at least temporarily, but schools and disaster relief sites are still reeling from staffing shortages.

By Adam Echelman and Carolyn Jones • July 18, 2025

Students walk along the bridge leading into campus on Scholars Lane at the University of California Merced campus on Nov. 4, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Higher Education

Debt-free at a tech job: How the powerful UC system lands students at Apple and Google

So that the UC could better develop its academic programs to prepare students for the changing workforce, the UC created a new data tool to show where tens of thousands of alumni work in California and the skills those employers seek.

By Mikhail Zinshteyn • July 17, 2025

Two students sit at a round classroom table focused on writing. One is writing on white paper while the other holds a bright orange sheet with notes. A bottle of water and an energy drink sit on the table. A whiteboard with faint writing and a canister of cleaning spray are visible in the background.

Higher Education

It’s not just about cheating. How AI is quietly eroding college students’ networks

Chatbots may give students quick answers when they have questions, but they won’t help students form relationships that matter for college and life success.

By Tara García Mathewson • July 16, 2025

A dimly lit elementary school classroom with a whiteboard displaying vocabulary and grammar lessons written in marker. Above the board, an alphabet banner with illustrated objects runs across the wall. A “MASK REQUIRED” sign is prominently posted. In the foreground, children wearing face masks are partially visible and out of focus, seated at desks. A projector and children's book are seen on a cart near the board, contributing to the classroom setting.

K-12 Education

Heinous, heartbreaking — and expensive. California schools face avalanche of sex abuse claims

A California law took effect in 2020 that dropped the statute of limitations for filing lawsuits, provided a three-year window for victims to file claims and otherwise made it easier for them to sue school districts and counties.

By Carolyn Jones • July 10, 2025

A person in a dark blue police uniform stands before an audience of people in light blue police uniforms. The photo is taken from the back of the room, over the shoulders of the audience, to show the person in front from their point of view.

Higher Education

How much education does a California police officer need? What a new bill proposes

California lawmakers could set new education requirements for police officers, but the bill has critics from all sides — including former Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, who authored the state’s watershed 2021 police reform bill.

By Cayla Mihalovich and Adam Echelman • July 8, 2025

Students walk and bike along a sunny path on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus, surrounded by trees and campus buildings, with a mountain visible in the background. Green banners read “CAL POLY” and “CELEBRATE DIVERSITY.”

Education

Congress is targeting these California universities in antisemitism hearings

The House Committee on Education and Workforce has included two California universities so far this year on its invite list for hearings on antisemitism. In May, the president of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, outlined several steps the university is taking in response to antisemitism complaints. The chancellor of UC Berkeley will address the committee at its next hearing.

By Jeremy Garza • July 7, 2025