California senator wants to automatically admit qualified students to CSU system
WEST SACRAMENTO — The stress of submitting college applications may soon be a thing of the past in California. Some students could automatically be getting a congratulatory college acceptance letter.
State Senator Christopher Cabaldon is introducing Senate Bill 640, which would give California high school graduates guaranteed acceptance into the California State University (CSU) system.
"If you have a 2.0 GPA and you take the right classes, then you can just go," Cabaldon said.
The proposal could also help CSU campuses that have been struggling financially due to having fewer students.
"There are seven or eight or nine campuses that are experiencing enrollment declines," Cabaldon said.
The idea is based in part on the City of West Sacramento's college promise program, which Gabaldon helped create when he was the city's mayor and guarantees all local high school students acceptance into community college.
"The vision really was to make West Sacramento the best place to raise a kid in the country," said Jennifer Laflam, dean of Sacramento City College's West Sacramento center.
Educators say the program has been a big success in allowing more youth to get an advanced degree.
"It is a really smart idea because early on, we are investing in our state's future," Laflam said.
Cabaldon said the proposal will have a minimal impact on the state budget but a big impact on students whose higher education can get them higher-paying jobs.
"For many students, they don't even know that that's an option for them," Cabaldon said. "They're thinking, 'I could never go to the state university,' but you can."
If passed, CSU officials will determine how many of the system's 23 campuses have enrollment capacity, so students may not be able to automatically get into the most popular schools.
