Public postsecondary education: pilot program for free cost of education: working group.

Under existing law, the segments of public postsecondary education in the state are the University of California, which is administered by the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, which is administered by the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, which is administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. This bill would require the Student Aid Commission to convene a working group until July 1, 2026, consisting of representatives from the State Department of Education, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the Trustees of the California State University, the Regents of the University of California, and faculty, staff, and students from the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California to research and develop recommendations for the creation of a pilot program, as specified, that would cover the cost of postsecondary education in the state by replacing the system of charging students tuition and fees, and addressing additional expenses associated with attendance at a public postsecondary institution. The bill would require, on or before July 1, 2026, the working group to submit a report to the Legislature on the pilot program, including information identified by the working group such as the public postsecondary institutions that would participate in the pilot program, the length of the pilot program, and available funding sources for the duration of the pilot program. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2027.