College Beat

Successive state audits of the University of California and the California State University found both systems have failed to comply with decades old state and federal laws mandating the return of Native ancestral remains and cultural artifacts, an act known as repatriation. Only UCLA and Cal State Long Beach have returned a majority of their collections back to local tribes.

The number of nursing students enrolling in high-priced private programs has nearly doubled over the past 10 years as the state’s public universities have stagnated in growth. Private universities charge up to seven times the tuition of public schools for a bachelor’s degree, but nurses say their starting salaries are worth the cost.

Mildred García, the new Cal State chancellor, is earning a total compensation of nearly $1 million. Meanwhile, university president pay has increased at a greater rate than that of faculty, who are preparing to strike in early December, and the system is raising tuition. Yet, Cal State execs still say their pay lags behind the national average.

As electric bikes and scooters gain popularity among college students, California campuses vary over their regulation. The devices pose safety risks yet are cheaper, more convenient and better for the environment than gas-powered vehicles.

Students at university campuses throughout the state are coming together - many times at odds - in their demands for peace and justice between Israel and Palestine. Here is a look at how the divisions are impacting California college students.

A new California law required all high school seniors to complete a financial aid application last year, leading to a record number. Now, everyone’s waiting for the federal government to overhaul the online FAFSA application, which won’t be ready until December.

Signed by the governor in September 2022, AB 2881 aims to identify and address the needs of student parents in California by offering them priority registration. Coordinators and advocates are optimistic the law will formalize data collection, allowing them to better serve this student population that represents 1 in 5 students nationally.

Student workers at the 23-campus system say their pay is low, their hours are restricted and they get no sick pay. They are hoping to join the employees union to fix that.

With the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild on strike, Hollywood has shut down. As workers demand fair compensation and regulation over the use of artificial intelligence, college students hoping to break into the entertainment industry are caught up in the historic moment.

A proposal to set up degree completion funds for California student athletes has met with stiff opposition from universities and the NCAA. College athletes could earn a share of the revenue they generate under the bill — as much as $25,000 for each year that they played their sport. But the bill’s author has delayed it until 2024 after opponents charged the fund would draw money away from less lucrative sports like gymnastics and swimming.