This legislation establishes direct admission to the California State University (CSU) system for qualified high school seniors. Instead of requiring an application, each student automatically receives a congratulatory admission letter listing campuses with available enrollment capacity.

The approach aims to address two pressing challenges:

• Declining enrollment at state universities. Nine CSU campuses saw enrollment drop 11 percent or more between 2015 and 2024. One of the hardest hit, Sonoma State University, is located in the Senate District represented by Christopher Cabaldon. It saw enrollment fall from 9,408 in 2015 to 5,784 in 2024, causing severe cuts to faculty, academic programs, and NCAA sports. 

• Low college continuation rates. Too many qualified high school seniors never pursue higher education, often due to lack of awareness, confidence, or barriers in the application process.

By reframing college as the natural “13th grade,” this policy removes psychological and procedural barriers that prevent students from pursuing a degree.

Impact or how it will be measured:

The program builds on a successful pilot in which all qualified high school seniors in one county received admission offers from 10 campuses. Of 17,000 students contacted, 13,200 completed the necessary paperwork—3,000 more than the prior year.

Impact will continue to be measured through enrollment trends at under-enrolled campuses and overall college-going rates among qualified high school graduates.