Senator Cabaldon introduces legislation to automatically admit graduating high school seniors to CSU—without having to apply

The bill, co-authored by Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and Assemblymembers Damon Connolly and Chris Rogers, is modeled after the West Sacramento Home Run Program, which was featured as an exemplar in Nudge, the NYT bestseller by Nobel Prize winner Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, the nation's most-cited legal scholar, and discussed in both Bloomberg and Harvard publications. SB 640 also builds upon a successful local direct admissions pilot by CSU, making the pilot permanent and statewide, and extending it to eligible community college students as well.

"It should be as easy and seamless to go from 12th grade to college as it is to go from 10th grade to 11th grade," said Senator Cabaldon. "Tens of thousands of California students are fully qualified to go to CSU, but don't jump the hurdles of the admissions process. At the same time, nearly half of CSU's campuses have substantial available enrollment capacity and need more students to sustain their high quality academic programs. High schools and community colleges already have all the transcript information they need in order to validate that a graduating student is CSU-admissible. SB 640 seals the cracks through which too many students fall and gets a coveted letter of admission to thousands of qualified students."

Similar to the Home Run Program, SB 640 builds on the CSU's direct admission pilot program in Riverside County. This bill takes the concept statewide, making direct admission a permanent and standardized pathway across the CSU system for high school and community college students. Students who meet the eligibility requirements will receive a congratulatory letter of acceptance to the specified CSU campus, with no application needed. The student can then choose to accept the admission offer and move directly to enroll at CSU.

In addition to expanding direct admission, SB 640 enhances California's transfer pathways by requiring the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, in collaboration with the Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges and CSU, to develop at least five Associate Degrees for Transfer in high-opportunity career fields. These pathways will ensure community college graduates transition smoothly to four-year institutions and secure well-paying jobs in innovative industries that provide for social mobility.

Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, a strong advocate for college accessibility, praised the legislation:

"California students should be the first priority to be educated at California universities," said Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. "I'm proud to coauthor SB 640. It'll give deserving students the opportunity to learn at our world-class universities, and the universities an opportunity to develop the minds of California's next generation of thinkers, leaders, and innovators."

The enrollment crisis facing CSU institutions—particularly campuses like Sonoma State and Cal Maritime—has led to significant budgetary shortfalls. SB 640 will help stabilize and grow enrollment at struggling campuses, ensuring they continue to serve as vital educational and economic engines for their communities. 

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Senator Christopher Cabaldon represents the 3rd Senate District which includes the cities of Oakley and Brentwood in Contra Costa County; American Canyon, Calistoga, Napa, Yountville, and St. Helena in Napa County; Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, and Vallejo, in Solano County; Cotati, Rohnert Park, and Sonoma in Sonoma County; Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, and Woodland in Yolo County; as well as Isleton in Sacramento County.