A Budget to Build a Future

by Gary Toebben

Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown released his May budget revision that affirmed the State’s commitment to college affordability and student success.

Earlier this year, the Chamber and our members championed a robust higher education agenda during our annual Access Sacramento advocacy trip. We called for investments to improve community college pathways, spur innovation in higher education, protect our state’s most vulnerable students--including foster and undocumented youth--and repeal an 11.3 percent cut to Cal Grants for students attending private, non-profit institutions.

We laud the Administration for its leadership and willingness to reflect the Chamber’s higher education budget priorities. Repealing the pending Cal Grant cut for students at private, nonprofit colleges and universities will allow more students to pursue higher education at the institution of their choice. This budget commitment will help our private, non-profit institutions produce more credential and degree graduates to meet future workforce demands.

The Administration’s support for a $150 million, one-time budget allocation for the development and implementation of Guided Pathways at California Community Colleges will make it easier for students to navigate their way through coursework requirements. Lastly, the $20 million investment in Awards for Innovation in Higher Education will provide one-time funding to reward community college campuses for innovations that improve student outcomes.

The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) received a $1 million Innovation Award this year for its proposal to launch the L.A. Reverse Transfer initiative between three LACCD campuses in the San Fernando Valley and California State University, Northridge. This initiative will enable students who have left CSUN without a bachelor’s degree to apply their coursework at a partnering community college in order to receive an associate degree.

To continue this progress, the Chamber is partnering with Assemblymember David Chiu, the Student Senate for California Community Colleges and Scholarship America on Assembly Bill 1468 to allow community colleges to utilize some of their funding to create “emergency aid” programs that provide small dollar grants to students in financial crisis. The bill recently passed the Assembly and is headed to the Senate.

This week, the Chamber will also push for changes at the federal level to benefit local students during our Access DC advocacy trip. You can view our agenda here. 

The only way to ensure a prepared, confident and strong workforce in California, is to invest in our future today.

And that’s the Business Perspective.