California will implement a statewide direct admissions program for 16 California State University (CSU) campuses after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 640 on Oct. 8. The law takes effect in January 2026 and applies to students applying for the fall 2027 semester.
Starting with the class of 2027, graduating seniors will receive a letter of admission to 16 CSUs if they meet certain academic requirements and attend a local education agency. While this law is intended to increase enrollment, it does not ensure admission, as additional application steps are still required.
The office of Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, a co-sponsor of the bill, issued a news release on Sept. 10 outlining the predicted benefits of the program.
“We should make it as seamless for our students to go from 12th grade to the next stage of their education as was for them to go sixth grade to seventh grade,” Cabaldon said in the release. “Direct admission removes the applications hurdle that stops some students from going to college, and relieves the fear that they won’t get in anywhere.”
Michael Zozos, the Advanced Via Individual Determination (AVID) site coordinator, said the program will help students who are unfamiliar with the college application process.
“There are many in California, at Burlingame here, whose families have not had any college-going experience,” Zozos said. “Even if some of those family members went to college outside of the United States, those students are still first generation students. And if a family doesn’t have the means or the opportunity to seek out outside help, this process can be complicated.”
Senior and fourth-year AVID student Melissa Cerna Aviles agrees that the program could reduce stress for students interested in pursuing a degree but concerned about eligibility.
“One of the big stressors is, ‘Will I get in, what options do I have?’” Cerna Aviles said. “… And I think for those who need a backup plan in case their dream school that might be a reach for them doesn’t accept them, they don’t know where to go, then I feel like this program with the CSUs is really awesome for them.”
Junior Kieran Larkin, whose brother is a sophomore at California Polytechnic State University, said he appreciates the expansion of the CSU Dual Admissions Program provided by the bill. Students will now have three years instead of two to complete an Associate Degree before transferring to a CSU.
“I was kind of thinking I wouldn’t go to CSM under any circumstance, but I think now I’m less fearful of going to community college,” Larkin said. “I feel like there’s a lot of fear-mongering around going to community college. If you go there, you’re not gonna have any life. But I think now, having that option means I can go to community college and then transfer to a CSU and gain, I guess, better education, if you want to think of it that way.”
On the other hand, college and career advisor Jonathan Dhyne said he is unsure of the bill’s benefits, preferring to wait and observe its outcomes once it goes into effect.
“I don’t know how many students I’ve worked with over the years who didn’t apply because they didn’t know they were eligible,” Dhyne said. “I think the work that we do with the College and Career Center and the counseling office feels like students are pretty aware when the time comes.”
According to Zozos, the system will likely remain confusing for people unfamiliar with it.
“One of the big things that I have found issue with, that my students are struggling with, is anytime that they have a unique question about their application or about something related to details around their personal and family issues, getting questions answered by the UCs and the CSU systems are very, very complicated, and you have to wait on hold for a very, very long time,” Zozos said.
Despite supporting the bill, sophomore Chris Wheeler said there are larger issues in the college application process that it overlooks.
“Affording colleges, like college scholarships and all that, is a big problem in our society,” Wheeler said. “And people can’t afford some colleges, and so they’re forced to go to community college instead, and then transfer. But they still might not have enough money to do that at all.”
Zozos, however, said the bill’s amendments to the CSU Dual Admissions Program provide a significant financial benefit to students.
“Community colleges are great options,” Zozos said. “Anytime that a student can save some money, take their prerequisites, find out and make sure that they’re prepped and ready to take that next step, I think is a good opportunity. Free is free, and it gets you prepared, and if you are guaranteed again at one of those other schools, I think that really helps you out in the long run.”
