The new law will shift the response to student overdoses toward support services. Supporters say the change could make students more likely to seek lifesaving help without fearing academic consequences.

California’s free online community college is growing quickly after years of scrutiny and failed efforts to shut it down. Even so, lawmakers and faculty groups continue to question Calbright’s cost, effectiveness and whether it is serving the students it was created to reach.

The state has a goal of rapidly expanding access to these credits, though tracking progress on that goal has been difficult so far.

California colleges and universities are still missing over $5 million worth of humanities grants, despite one federal district court order to return funds to University of California campuses. Campuses must now scramble for limited, alternative funding.

As they face high-cost fixes, lawmakers have introduced a bond bill that ambitiously intends to fund both the modernization of academic facilities and the addition of affordable student housing throughout the state.

California saw a sharp rise in federal financial aid applications this year, with nearly three-quarters of public high school seniors applying—evidence the state’s push is paying off.

California is partnering with Google, Microsoft, Adobe and IBM to provide free AI tools and training to colleges, aiming to prepare students for a changing job market. Supporters see a boost to “AI literacy,” while critics warn the benefits remain unproven.

The number of high school senior applicants with at least one parent lacking legal status has nearly rebounded to the 2023 number after the revised financial aid form last year kept them from being able to apply without parental Social Security numbers for several months.