The 2026-27 Budget: Community College Facilities

Mar 17, 2026 - Share of Funding Allocated Toward Modernization Projects Is Likely Too Low. Though we think the scoring system is generally reasonable, it has a few shortcomings. One of these shortcomings is that it weights modernization and growth projects in a way that does not align tightly with identified project needs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5159

Assessment of CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025

Dec 10, 2025 - The new framework goes beyond the GI 2025 objectives of increasing graduation rates and closing equity gaps by adding new objectives and several new metrics. One  notable new objective is ensuring all students are able to graduate with a first career job or pathway to graduate education.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5099

The 2026-27 Budget: California Student Aid Commission

Feb 17, 2026 - For Cal Grant recipients (who already have their tuition, and, in some cases, a portion of their nontuition costs covered), MCS provides ad ditional aid for nontuition costs. Though less notable given relative magnitude, the revamped program also expanded eligibility to CCC students in bachelor ’s degree programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5127

UC Merced at 20: Campus Developments and Key State-Level Takeaways

Nov 7, 2024 - Building space or hiring staff before students enroll means added costs without as much underlying revenue, yet not having space and staff in place means students have no programs in which to enter. Until a campus reaches a certain level —with a certain number of students, type of students, and revenue streams —nearly all aspects of campus development not only are more daunting logistically, but they cost more per student.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4937

The 2023-24 Budget: Student Housing

Mar 9, 2023 - Though the CCC housing projects had not yet been submitted at the time of this writing, we suspect they too are in early planning phases. Even the projects the state funded as part of the first round generally remain in early planning phases.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4733

The 2023-24 Budget: Higher Education Overview

Jan 31, 2023 - The proposed approach, however, is questionable, as it disconnects funding from specific project activities —likely providing too much project funding too soon and then delaying funding even when projects could be shovel ready.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4664

The 2026-27 Budget: University of California

Feb 26, 2026 - Rather than making commitments in advance, the Legislature could determine each year how much ongoing support it can afford to provide UC in light of overall fiscal conditions and competing budget priorities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5143

The 2025-26 Budget: Community College Facilities

Mar 18, 2025 - The Chancellor ’s Office may designate up to 50  percent of state funding each year for life safety projects, though the amount needed to fund all project proposals in this category is typically much lower.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5017

Assessment of the Strong Workforce Program

Dec 10, 2025 - In 2023 ‑24, 18  CCC districts reported receiving $8  million in WIOA funds, though much of this funding was likely for instruction in basic skills (such as English language and literacy) rather than CTE.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5098

The 2025-26 Budget: Higher Education Overview

Feb 6, 2025 - Given the non‑Proposition 98 side of the budget is much more constrained at this time than the Proposition 98 side of the budget, supporting CSU and UC enrollment growth is much more challenging than supporting CCC enrollment growth.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4957