Governor Proposes Support for Pathways and Dual Enrollment

29 Jan 2025

Continued support for dual enrollment and college and career pathways is reflected in the governor’s 2025-26 budget and proposed new Master Plan for Career Education. Governor Newsom’s January budget summary emphasized in a number of places how proposed investments would support the master plan.

In K-12 education, the budget proposes including “career pathways and dual enrollment expansion efforts consistent with the Master Plan for Career Education” as allowable expenditures under a new, one-time investment in a $1.8 billion Student Support and Discretionary Block Grant.

In higher education, proposed investments to support implementation of the master plan include: $5 million to establish a state coordinating body across TK-12, higher education, and state economic and labor agencies; $4 million to support regional coordination for career education and training; and $100 million for California community colleges to expand Credit for Prior Learning and build a “Career Passport” system that enables students to document their skills and provides a transcript for educational or work experience. The budget also proposes $162.5 million to implement a common technology platform across the community college system, including integration of program and pathway mapping tools.

The governor previewed a framework for the proposed master plan at a December 15 press conference, where he stressed its relevance to all Californians including adults without a high school diploma. “This is a big deal, and people need to know about it,” said Governor Newsom about the newly-approved state process for Ability to Benefit that enables the roughly 4 million California adults without a high school diploma or equivalency to access federal financial aid and enroll in a community college.

At the press conference, the governor recognized Chancellor Christian and the California Community Colleges as the principal collaborative partner in the work supporting the master plan and career pathway opportunities through credit for prior learning, career passports, and other approaches. The final Master Plan for Career Education will be unveiled in early 2025.