blog post California’s Dream Act By Jacob Jackson Sep 11, 2017 As the federal government moves to end the DACA program, California is continuing to support the higher education aspirations of undocumented students.
blog post Applications for Dream Act Financial Aid Have Fallen By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson Aug 20, 2021 A sharp decline in California Dream Act applications during the COVID-19 pandemic may mean that college is less affordable for some undocumented students—or even lead to a decline in enrollment.
blog post The DACA Ruling and California’s Dreamers By Joseph Hayes, Laura Hill Jun 19, 2020 What does this week’s US Supreme Court ruling mean for the nearly 200,000 DACA recipients in California?
Fact Sheet Immigrants and Education in California By Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Mar 24, 2021 Educational attainment among California’s recent immigrants has risen markedly. Immigrants now make up 31% of California workers with at least a bachelor’s degree. However, immigrants also comprise an outsized share of workers with little formal education.
blog post Financial Aid Applications for College Increase after New Law By Jacob Jackson May 3, 2023 Under a state law that aims to ensure graduating high school seniors seek financial aid, the number of potential first-time college students applying for assistance by the UC/CSU deadline increased 12% over the prior year.
blog post Improving Lives through Public Policy By Tani Cantil-Sakauye May 16, 2023 President and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye reflects on the role that PPIC’s independent, nonpartisan research plays in helping to improve Californians’ physical, educational, and economic well-being.
Report Higher Education in California: Student Costs By Jacob Jackson Nov 12, 2014 Increases in tuition across California’s public four-year universities have heightened concerns about the affordability of a college education, especially for those with the lowest incomes. In-state full tuition at the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) has risen more dramatically than at other public universities in other states over the past decade. During this same period, the federal, state, and institutional grant and scholarship programs that help make college affordable for students from lower- and middle-income families expanded. This helped lower-income families keep up with rising tuition, but the full price of college beyond tuition can still be a relatively large share of their income. Given the importance of higher education to California’s economic future, policymakers at the federal, state, and institutional levels need to make a continuing commitment to keep college affordable for students from low- and middle-income families. Also, given current tuition levels, it is more important than ever for the state to ensure that all students fill out financial aid forms and can easily access tools that can help them understand the financial aid packages they are offered.
blog post What’s Next for Higher Education in 2023? By Olga Rodriguez, Kevin Cook Jan 11, 2023 After three years of disruption, California’s higher education institutions are ready to turn the page on the pandemic. We explore the key issues to watch this year in shrinking equity gaps, addressing enrollment concerns, and increasing college affordability and access.
blog post Testimony: Enrollment Declines in California Community Colleges By Olga Rodriguez Nov 14, 2022 For a hearing of Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance, PPIC’s Olga Rodriguez presented research on pandemic-induced enrollment declines at community colleges—with the largest decreases among Asian, Black, and Latino students—and discussed strategies for boosting student access and educational attainment.