The 2026-27 Budget: California Community Colleges

Mar 5, 2026 - Staffing Levels Have Rebounded Since Pandemic. At the start of the pandemic, community college districts decreased their staffing levels in response to steep enrollment declines. Over the past three years, however, staffing has gradually rebounded.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5150

The 2026-27 Budget: University of California

Feb 26, 2026 - During the following years of economic expansion and reduced economic uncertainty, UC reserve levels declined. UC reserves also were impacted by the infusion of federal stimulus funding and one ‑time state funding provided in 2021 ‑22 and 2022 ‑23, with levels growing somewhat over those years.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5143

The 2026-27 Budget: California Student Aid Commission

Feb 17, 2026 - This income level equates to roughly the top 90th percentile of households in California (meaning only about one in ten households makes above that level). Lastly, under the revamped program, students at private universities remain ineligible for MCS awards.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5127

The 2026-27 Budget: California Education Learning Lab

Mar 25, 2026 - Faculty teams test ways to improve learning outcomes in college-level lower division courses, including by using adaptive learning technology. Be yond awarding grants, Learning Lab undertakes various other activities, including hosting webinars and podcasts, curating a public resource library, and facilitating higher education convenings.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5171

The 2026-27 Budget: California State University

Feb 24, 2026 - The state pays costs for the employer contribution associated with CSU’s 2013‑14 payroll level. CSU pays the employer contribution for any payroll growth above that level. The state adopted this arrangement in 2013‑14 to provide CSU with a stronger fiscal incentive to contain staffing costs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5142

The 2026-27 Budget: Higher Education Overview

Feb 5, 2026 - The compacts were intended to provide the segments with more predictable funding levels, while also promoting certain performance goals, such as enrolling more resident undergraduates and improvi ng graduation rates.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5112

The 2026-27 Budget: Community College Facilities

Mar 17, 2026 - Meanwhile, growth projects receive points based on projected enrollment growth at the campus, as well as how its existing capacity compares to its enrollment level. Projects in both categories also receive points based on the amount of the local contribution, with districts generally required to cover at least 25  percent of total project costs and receiving more points for covering a larger share.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5159

Assessment of the Strong Workforce Program

Dec 10, 2025 - Subsequent augmentations have brought the program funding level to $290  million ongoing. (Of this amount, $60  million is currently being redirected to a nursing initiative, as we discuss in the box below.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5098

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Higher Education

Nov 14, 2025 - The budget includes a $243  million ongoing General Fund increase for Cal Grants in 2025-26 over the revised 2024-25 level. This increase brings total Cal Grant spending to $2.8  billion —reflecting a 9.5  percent increase over the revised 2024-25 level.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5089

Assessment of CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025

Dec 10, 2025 - For equity gaps by race/ethnicity at the campus level, 11 campuses narrowed or eliminated the gap in four ‑year graduation rates for first ‑time freshman cohorts, while 12 campuses had gaps that widened since the start of GI 2025.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5099