83% of California campuses hide cost breakdowns under new aid law

California colleges must publish exactly how they calculate student costs by the fall of 2027. The new requirement aims to stop universities from underestimating expenses, a practice that blocks students from receiving enough financial aid to cover their actual bills. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2251 in September to enforce these changes.

The law targets a gap in the current system. Existing rules require campuses to list tuition, fees, housing, and food costs. However, over half of the state's institutions use estimates that fall below what students actually pay. Some schools underestimate costs by more than $10,000, according to 2024 research from John Burton Advocates for Youth. This discrepancy limits the amount of aid a student can accept.

Students cannot receive more loans, grants, or scholarships than their school’s calculated cost of attendance. When real expenses exceed that number, students often must work extra hours or take fewer classes. They can request a cost of attendance adjustment, but many do not know the option exists. A March report found that nearly half of California colleges fail to inform students about these resources.

The law requires schools to display adjustment instructions on the same page as their cost details. Campuses must explain how to submit a request, the expected processing time, and which staff members handle the appeals. This addresses a common complaint from students who feel lost in unclear websites and bureaucratic runarounds.

Junely Merwin experienced this confusion while attending Cal State Fullerton in 2015. A former foster youth and young mother, she needed extra aid for childcare despite holding a full-ride scholarship. Her school’s website was unclear, and she was passed between multiple staff members before completing her appeal. Once her cost of attendance included childcare, she was able to accept more scholarship funds.

Jackie Cordero, a first-generation student at UC Santa Cruz, is currently navigating her own adjustment. Her father’s injury left her with expenses her aid package did not cover. She found the option through her own research but struggled with documentation requirements. Her school asked for physical papers detailing her father’s work termination and her mother’s income, documents that did not exist. She had to write letters to supplement the missing paperwork.

Transparency remains the primary goal of the legislation. Staff at John Burton Advocates for Youth found that 83% of campuses do not reveal the breakdown of expense categories on their websites. Only 17% of University of California schools, 26% of California State University campuses, and 22% of community colleges explain their data sources. The new law forces these institutions to share that information with the public.