California Community Colleges

Congress gave California’s public colleges and universities more than $8 billion in emergency funding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the money is drying up and schools are faced with a grim financial future.

California’s community colleges are reporting a rise in financial aid fraud. In January, suspected bots represented 1 in 4 college applicants. Schools have given away millions to these scams, and college officials say fraudsters are getting smarter with the help of AI.

California’s three public university systems are either setting or reworking their climate plans to fall in line with the state’s goal for carbon neutrality by 2045, all while striving to expand in size and scope. New plans do away with a large reliance on carbon offsets, making an already difficult and costly process of reducing emissions even harder.

While graduation rates for Black students are the lowest in California universities, cultural centers can help address equity issues. Centers for Black students create a safe space to foster community while connecting with academic resources and Black faculty.

The Campus Opioid Safety Act required colleges and universities to put the power of reversing fentanyl overdoses directly into the hands of students. Some campuses are giving out the life-saving nasal spray Narcan, while others are not.

State officials want to prepare more Californians for good jobs — those that pay a stable, living wage and offer other benefits, such as a pathway for promotions. The state has spent roughly $370 million on these workforce programs, but the results are mixed.

After much political angst, California's community colleges have received limited authority to award four-year degrees. It's been a success for students that should be expanded.

Last year the governor proposed asking community colleges to return their COVID relief money. Although that idea was dropped, college officials fear committing dollars that may be taken away.

“Progress remains slow,” according to a recent report on faculty diversity at California’s community colleges. For Nikia Chaney, the sole full-time Black faculty member at Cabrillo College, the experience is personal.

California’s community colleges are seeing enrollment gains for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Older students — those over 50 — are some of the first to return.