The 2026-27 Budget: Higher Education Overview

Feb 5, 2026 - Recommend Holding Enrollment Flat at Universities in 2027 ‑28. Given the sizeable projected deficit in 2027 ‑28, we recommend holding enrollment expectations flat for UC and CSU that year. Setting higher enrollment targets for the segments without providing them funding comes with downsides.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5112

The 2026-27 Budget: California State University

Feb 24, 2026 - We recommend removing the state ’s out ‑year funding commitments to CSU in 2027 ‑28 and 2028 ‑29. Eliminating these out ‑year augmentations would reduce projected state deficits in 2027 ‑28 and 2028 ‑29 without requiring programmatic cuts or tax increases.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5142

The 2026-27 Budget: University of California

Feb 26, 2026 - We recommend removing the state ’s out ‑year funding commitments to UC in 2027 ‑28 and 2028 ‑29. Eliminating these out ‑year augmentations would reduce projected state deficits in 2027 ‑28 and 2028 ‑29 without requiring programmatic cuts or tax increases.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5143

The 2025-26 Budget: Higher Education Overview

Feb 6, 2025 - A new governor will take office in 2027 ‑28. b Under the deferral plans, the year 4 base increases and UC nonresident replacement funding are deferred from 2025 ‑26 to 2027 ‑28. In 2026 ‑27, one ‑time back payments are provided for 2025 ‑26 costs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4957

The 2026-27 Budget: Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education

Mar 25, 2026 - As Figure  2 shows, the BPPE Fund is projected to become insolvent in 2027-28 regardless of whether the state provides the proposed General Fund appropriation. (This appropriation would have a small impact on BPPE ’s near-term fiscal condition, as it covers loan repayment costs that would otherwise be spread across the next six years.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5169

The 2026-27 Budget: Community College Facilities

Mar 17, 2026 - The Governor ’s budget includes $28  million Proposition  2 bond funds for the preliminary plans and working drawings phases of these projects. The total cost across all project phases is $748  million, with the state covering $399  million (53  percent) and districts covering $348  million (47  percent).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5159

The Master Plan at 50 series - Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts--Coordinating Higher Education in California [Video]

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts--Coordinating Higher Education in California January 28, 2010 In this 5-minute video, analyst Judy Heiman discusses the LAO Report "Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts--Coordinating Higher Education in California. "
https://lao.ca.gov/Videos/Player?playlistId=9&videoId=92

The 2023-24 Budget: Fiscal Outlook for Schools and Community Colleges

Nov 16, 2022 - Throughout  this report, we account for Proposition  28 in our estimates of school spending and our estimates of the minimum guarantee. Proposition 28 (2022) Establishes New Program to Fund Arts Education.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4648

The 2023-24 Budget: University of California

Feb 15, 2023 - If UC Merced continued growing at the same pace over the next five years as it has over the past five years, its enrollment would reach  10,377 students by 2027 ‑28, still far below the level needed to justify the expansion  project.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4684

The 2026-27 Budget: California Student Aid Commission

Feb 17, 2026 - Given this budgetary approach, the state would not achieve the identified one ‑time General Fund savings until 2027 ‑28. Assessment Impact of Reducing Award Coverage Would Vary Among Students. At the proposed award coverage of 17.5  percent, the average MCS award amount is expected to decrease by about half.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5127