Daisy Gonzales

Daisy Gonzales serves as executive director of the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), the largest state financial aid system in the United States. She is responsible for administering over $3.5 billion in financial aid programs for students attending public and private universities, colleges, and vocational schools in California. She has dedicated her career to making higher education accessible to all Californians. Most recently, she served as the second-highest administrator for California’s 116 community colleges, where she administered $13 billion in funds. As interim chancellor, she supported colleges to innovate during the COVID-19 pandemic by leading efforts to secure historic levels of state and federal funding and redesigning policies to remove barriers to equitable success. She is a member of the Public Policy Institute of California Higher Education Center Advisory Council. She is a first-generation college student and a proud alumna of California’s Community Colleges. She holds a BA in public policy from Mills College, and an MA and PhD in sociology from University of California, Santa Barbara.