California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law that gives automatic admission to participating California State University campuses for all California residents who meet the eligibility requirements. Participation is optional, meaning each CSU campus can decide whether or not to join the program. Currently, 16 CSU campuses have agreed to take part, and the policy is scheduled to begin in the 2026-2027 school year.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law which allows automatic admission to participating California State Universities to all California residents who meet the requirements. 

Last year, all residents of Riverside, California, were the first to receive these benefits under a pilot program. Schools saw it as a tremendous upgrade which allowed students to feel more supported.

“We’ve seen that kind of a transformational process through this Riverside County pilot,” ​​April Grommo, the assistant vice chancellor for strategic enrollment management, said, according to an Ed Source article. “So we’re excited to be able to move this statewide and really provide clear and supportive paths for students to be able to earn their CSU degree.”

Eligible students will be identified ahead of time, but they still need to fill out a CSU application and choose their campuses. Each campus will accept students depending on how much space it has.

Some students at CHS expressed positive feelings about this new program.

“I think this is a great opportunity for those who didn’t do as well as they thought they would in high school, and ensures a Plan B for those students,” said CHS senior Natalie Tabatabai.

This new law is a big step toward making sure every student in California has the chance to get a good education. Thanks to this new policy and the existing Transfer Admission Guarantee, California students who struggled in high school can still have a clear path to college.