| Title: |
College Enrollment under California 's New Financial Aid Application Policy |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Rachel Yang Zhou; Kevin Cook; Selina Gomez; Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) |
| Source: |
Public Policy Institute of California. 2025. |
| Availability: |
Public Policy Institute of California. 500 Washington Street Suite 800, San Francisco, CA 94111. Tel: 415-291-4400; Fax: 415-291-4401; Web site: http://www.ppic.org |
| Peer Reviewed: |
N |
| Page Count: |
28 |
| Publication Date: |
2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: |
Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund; Gates Foundation |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: |
Student Financial Aid; College Enrollment; Educational Policy; Financial Aid Applicants; Educational Change; High School Seniors; State Legislation; Educational Legislation; Paying for College; State Policy; Enrollment Trends; Federal Aid; Grants; State Aid; Student Characteristics |
| Geographic Terms: |
California |
| Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: |
Pell Grant Program |
| Abstract: |
California needs more college graduates to meet future workforce demands, and expanding access to financial aid is a key strategy to support this goal. Completing a financial aid application--such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA)--is a critical step for students to access need-based aid and make informed decisions about college. In 2022-23, California implemented a universal FAFSA/CADAA policy, which requires school districts to ensure that all high school seniors complete a financial aid application or formally opt out. This report analyzes changes in college enrollment and student access to financial aid in the policy's first year of implementation. The report gives a brief overview on the role of grant aid in college affordability and student outcomes along with a look at changes in college enrollment and access to financial aid, including regional variation in these changes, and the extent to which the policy contributed to these trends. The socioeconomic composition of FAFSA completers and college enrollees is investigated by linking data from the California Department of Education to understand if students' college choices changed following greater access to financial aid information and whether access to aid varied across sectors of higher education. Policy recommendations are provided based on the research findings. |
| Abstractor: |
ERIC |
| Entry Date: |
2026 |
| Access URL: |
https://www.ppic.org/publication/college-enrollment-under-californias-new-financial-aid-application-policy/ |
| Accession Number: |
ED679251 |
| Database: |
ERIC |