Cal Grant expansion can help Californians overcome the hurdles that deter most students

My journey to a college degree has been filled with detours.

After high school, I attended college for two semesters before I joined the U.S. Army. When I concluded my service as a combat engineer — deployed overseas and with two Purple Heart medals to boast — I returned to California and enrolled in community college. But financial difficulties got in the way.

Unsurprisingly, money is the primary reason most students stop or drop out of college. I was fortunate to have GI Bill benefits to pay for my education, but most Californians don’t have that option. I eventually returned to college, completed my associate’s degree and transferred to National University, where I earned my bachelor’s.

Financial aid made all the difference in my college journey — and my life. California lawmakers have the opportunity to strengthen a financial aid program that’s serving as a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Californians who are seeking a college credential to improve their lives.

This year, the Cal Grant program is supporting nearly 700,000 low- and middle-income Californians who are pursuing degrees at public and independent postsecondary institutions across the state. Two-thirds of new Cal Grant recipients are seeking to become the first college graduates in their families. Nearly a third are adult learners — many with family, job and other responsibilities — who are returning to school after time away from formal education.

Cal Grant makes it possible to pursue a credential at the institutions that have powered California’s economy for decades. Today, 56% of California adults have a postsecondary degree or credential, a nine-point increase since 2014. Enhancing the state’s financial aid program would help more Californians open up the pathways to high-wage careers that keep California globally competitive. But the award amounts from the Cal Grant program have not kept pace with the rising cost of college. 

Assembly Bill 402, which is now under consideration in the state Senate, would accomplish two critical things to support people like me who took a less traditional path.

First, by restoring Cal Grant scholarship amounts to 2001 levels, the bill would provide additional aid to eligible students. AB 402 would raise the maximum Cal Grant award to students attending independent institutions by $350 to $9,708 annually starting in 2025-26. This increase would directly support nearly 31,000 Californians attending private nonprofit colleges and universities.

Second, the bill would ensure that nontraditional students like myself who transfer from a community college to one of the more than 85 independent California colleges or universities can maintain their Cal Grant eligibility.

In 2024, these campuses welcomed more than 3,300 community college transfer students. If transfer students can maintain Cal Grant eligibility, it would open up additional opportunities to better serve the diverse needs and realities for community college students.

Thanks to the financial aid that supported my college journey, I went from a college dropout to college graduate. In January, I earned my bachelor’s degree with distinction from National University. 

I chose to remain there to pursue my master’s while serving as vice president of the student veterans’ organization, volunteering through the California Volunteers program and supporting two military-affiliated organizations, The Mission Continues and the Wounded Warrior Project.

AB 402 represents a small investment in postsecondary opportunities that could make a big difference in peoples’ lives. Every college journey is different, but everyone should have a chance to get the financial support they need to reach the finish.