Rising costs are putting an education at California's public universities out of reach for many Californians. Eroding state funding for higher education has meant that more costs are passed on to students and their families in the form of increased fees. Room and board and other costs have grown much faster than inflation. Incomes have not kept…

On January 28, the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) released a report examining the coordination of California postsecondary education. LAO concludes that the state faces many challenges in maintaining a high-quality higher education system, and that reform of its coordination structure is needed to help meet those challenges. The LAO report…

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, or Post-9/11 GI Bill, becomes effective August 1, 2009. The bill covers in-state graduate and undergraduate fees and vocational and technical training for veterans who served after September 10, 2001. Benefits are available for up to 36 months--equivalent to four academic years--and…

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) significantly increases federal tax credits for people who pay for college education. For many families, these tax credits will offset most of the recent fee increases at University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and the community colleges. Some students will likely be…

The Commission adopted two affordability reports in 2008. One report examined costs for students at a four-year public university who live on campus. The other examined costs for students living in their parent's home while studying at a community college. Costs were compared to trends in family income over the past 30 years. The resulting report…

This update contains analyses of legislation being tracked by California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) staff. It has updated positions on bills as adopted in the Commission meeting on June 8. A matrix of bills tracked by CPEC staff is included.

This white paper looks at the way that rising college costs are affecting California families. Higher education in California has historically been guided by the principle that maintaining affordability is paramount to providing access to all students who desire a postsecondary education. However, over recent decades, eroding state funding for…

At the March 2007 meeting, the Commission received a progress report and a work plan for completing its accountability framework measure reports by December 2007. This report updates the Commission on progress to date.

This white paper continues the Commission's examination of how rising college costs are affecting California families. An earlier paper looked at the costs for students living on campus at the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU). Rising costs for UC and CSU have been particularly hard on middle- and lower-income…

This update contains analyses of legislative initiatives being tracked by staff of the California Postsecondary Education Commission. The positions shown for each bill are those adopted by the Commission at its June 9, 2009 and earlier meetings. A matrix of bills monitored by CPEC staff is included. Contents include: (1) Access; (2) Affordability;…

California's Master Plan for Higher Education represented a promise, of an affordable college education, to every person who could benefit. For decades, California's lawmakers honored that promise. Rapidly increasing college fees, coupled with higher costs for room and board, books, transportation, and healthcare are pricing students out of higher…

This report examines levels of debt incurred by students and families for undergraduate education, and explores the implications significant debt levels may have on access to higher education. Included in the analysis are undergraduate debt levels at California public and private institutions and comparisons of California student debt with student…

This item summarizes the Commission's examination of performance measures over the past 18 months. Sustained focus for the period was on four areas of performance: (1) Preparation for college entry and success; (2) Affordability and accessibility; (3) Student success; and (4) Contributions to California's economic, civic, and social development.…

As part of its Performance Accountability Framework, the Commission analyzed the affordability of public colleges and universities. This report summarizes how the real cost of a college education in California changed between 1996 and 2004 and examines the way students at California's public colleges and universities paid for their education. In…

This report presents the policy options for legislative action that were adopted by the California Postsecondary Education Commission at its December 12, 2006, meeting. In adopting these policy options the Commission reviewed findings and recommendations from a Special Panel on Affordability composed of experts and stakeholders appointed by the…