“We are deeply grateful to our elected leaders, who recognize how critical education is to empower these individuals to uplift themselves and their families post-incarceration,” said Gary K. Michelson, M.D., founder and co-chair of MCPP and Michelson Philanthropies.

On July 27, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 132 which provides more than $47 billion for higher education in California, including the University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges, including ZTC degree pathways.

Dr. Rashida Crutchfield, associate professor in the School of Social Work at California State University, and Dr. Gary Michelson’s featured op-ed on why the State’s higher education budget can make huge strides in supporting student basic needs.

A coalition of leading educators, students, and policy experts are calling on legislators to fully fund Governor Gavin Newsom’s historic proposal for Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) degree pathways for California students.

Gary K. Michelson, M.D., founder and co-chair of the Michelson Center for Public Policy, issues a statement on Gov. Newsom’s revised budget proposal for 2021-22 which would provide a total of $115 million one-time investment to develop, implement and expand ZTC degrees and open educational resources to reduce the overall cost education for students attending community college.

Gary K. Michelson, M.D., founder and co-chair of the Michelson Center for Public Policy and the Michelson 20MM Foundation, today issued the following statement on the appointment of Assemblymember Rob Bonta as California Attorney General.

We are writing in support of Governor Newsom’s proposed $15 million one-time allocation of Proposition 98 funds for the California Community College (CCC) System’s Zero-Textbook Cost (ZTC) Degree program.

Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) is joined by Project Rebound Consortium and Michelson Center for Public Policy in announcing the introduction of SB 416, a bill that would amend California Penal Code to protect incarcerated students’ access to face-to-face instruction provided by quality nonprofit and regionally-accredited higher education providers.

Joint authors, Assemblymembers Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield), and Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), and bill co-sponsors, Michelson Center for Public Policy and the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG), today announced the introduction of AB 403, the Fair Access to College Textbooks Act. The Act requires that higher education institutions entering into automatic billing agreements include consumer protection provisions for students.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced the new “California Digital Divide Innovation Challenge,” a global competition that will award up to $1 million to the boldest, most revolutionary proposals to eliminate the digital divide and expand high-speed internet access to all Californians.