blog post California Sees Steep Decline in Financial Aid Applications By Kevin Cook Mar 12, 2021 Far fewer California high school seniors completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) this year, reducing the number who may receive funding that helps provide access to higher education.
blog post Video: A Conversation with Chancellor Joseph I. Castro By Stephanie Barton Mar 5, 2021 PPIC’s Mark Baldassare talks with the leader of the California State University about addressing the COVID-19 pandemic as well as CSU’s efforts to increase access, diversity, and college completion.
blog post Dual Admission Could Help More Students Transfer from Community College to State Universities By Hans Johnson Feb 19, 2021 Under a proposed dual admission program, students who enroll in a California community college would be conditionally accepted to a state university. This could expand access to a bachelor’s degree and help address equity gaps in higher education.
blog post Testimony: A New Era of Student Access at California’s Community Colleges By Olga Rodriguez Jan 19, 2021 In testimony for the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, PPIC’s Olga Rodriguez presents research showing that expanded access to transfer-level English and math courses improves student outcomes and narrows—but does not erase—racial inequities.
blog post Improving College Readiness through Dual Enrollment By Olga Rodriguez, Niu Gao, Bonnie Brooks, Gabriel Gutierrez-Aragon Jan 15, 2021 Dual enrollment--allowing high school students to take college courses--is an important strategy for expanding educational opportunities. It’s especially important for helping students from underserved communities.
blog post The Year Ahead in Higher Education By Hans Johnson Jan 13, 2021 Last year brought historic disruptions to California’s colleges and universities. In 2021, how can policymakers and higher education officials draw on lessons learned during the pandemic while building on progress that was underway prior to COVID-19?
blog post Tackling Regional Disparities in Economic Opportunity By Sarah Bohn, Dean Bonner, Vicki Hsieh, Julien Lafortune Dec 8, 2020 Economic opportunity varies across California, and COVID-19 could worsen these disparities. Public policies that aim to increase opportunity should seek to address differing conditions and needs across regions.
blog post Will This Recession Deepen California’s Economic Divide? By Sarah Bohn, Dean Bonner, Vicki Hsieh, Julien Lafortune Dec 7, 2020 The current downturn is having a disproportionate impact on low-income Californians and communities of color. Deliberate policy action can help create an equitable recovery and broaden long-term economic opportunity.
blog post Testimony: Getting to Graduation on Time at California State University By Jacob Jackson Nov 19, 2020 PPIC’s Jacob Jackson testified before the Select Committee on Student Success on increasing the share of CSU students who graduate in four years by encouraging them to take full course loads early in college.
Report A New Era of Student Access at California’s Community Colleges By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez, Hans Johnson Nov 18, 2020 A landmark law (AB 705) has helped tens of thousands of community college students complete the courses necessary for transfer to a four-year college. But student outcomes vary across campuses, and more work is needed to ensure equitable access and completion rates—particularly in math.
