In abstract
California’s faculty college students had a 12 months for the historical past books, as they contended with main strikes, mass protests, the arrest of a whole bunch of friends and main setbacks of their bid to use for monetary assist.
What was the state of upper training this previous 12 months? In a phrase, upheaval.
California’s schools and universities have been residence to paroxysms of school and pupil fury over pay, free speech, the warfare in Gaza and the deep wounds of antisemitism and Islamophobia.
And just like the Sixties — one other period of campus protest that ended with the slender victory of a conservative politician driving a wave of cultural resentment — California’s public universities turned nationwide poster youngsters for that social upheaval.
However 2024 was additionally a financially propitious time for California’s practically 150 public schools and universities. Whereas lawmakers swung a cost-cutting scythe on the bills of most public companies to handle an enormous finances shortfall, they spared greater edrising public funding for these establishments. In addition they poured more cash into pupil monetary assist, although not as a lot as some advocates and lawmakers wished.
Right here’s a quick timeline of the foremost occasions in California greater training in 2024:
- California State College school strikes, January — The school union for the primary time in its historical past went on a systemwide strike over wages and advantages. The plan was to strike all weekhowever the labor walkout ended the day it started after union leaders received most of what they wished, together with wage will increase of 10%.
2025 outlook
How will Donald Trump’s second go as president have an effect on faculty funding and pupil life? With management of Congress, Washington might goal Biden-era mortgage forgiveness packagesaffecting many debtors in California. Trump’s acknowledged need for mass deportations can be perilous for California college students — both those that are themselves undocumented or have dad and mom or relations who’re. In the meantime,Cal State is eyeing finances shortfalls if lawmakers observe by way of on their guarantees to chop spending. That would imply class cuts, fewer new college students and fewer cash to enhance commencement charges.
