Several legislative efforts and statewide initiatives have laid the foundation for dual enrollment expansion in California, including:

• AB 288 (2015) created the College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) program, which enabled high school students to take college courses at their school sites, easing logistical barriers.
• The California Community Colleges’  Vision 2030  outlines a strategy in which all California high school students enroll in community college transfer, career, or apprenticeship pathways and complete high school with at least 12 units of dual enrollment credit.
• The governor’s Master Plan for Career Education  calls for universal availability and implementation of pathways programs, including dual enrollment.

To turn these statewide visions into a reality for every student, California must now pivot from creating programs to scaling them equitably. AB 1871, the $100M CCAP investment, and the associated trailer bill language work in tandem to address the specific structural gaps that have historically left marginalized students behind:

• Removing Barriers: AB 1871 (Mike Fong) dismantles the administrative hurdles that create systemic friction for students. By transitioning to a single-application model for the duration of a student’s CCAP attendance, the bill replaces bureaucratic hurdles with a streamlined gateway to higher education. Crucially, the bill removes the requirement for principal approval, a move specifically designed to eliminate potential bias that can unfairly impact students from diverse backgrounds. To further accelerate student success, AB 1871 eliminates the four-course-per-term limit, providing students the flexibility to maximize their 15-unit cap and significantly reduce the future cost of a college degree.
• Closing the Gaps: A strategic $100M one-time CCAP investment serves as the essential catalyst for improving the scale and access to these programs. This funding is precisely targeted to LEAs currently lacking dual enrollment infrastructure, those serving high-need communities, and those supporting justice-involved youth. By prioritizing these specific districts, California ensures that a student’s zip code or a school’s lack of capital is no longer a barrier to social mobility. The associated Trailer Bill Language (TBL) provides the legal architecture for prioritizing LEAs with unduplicated pupil percentages exceeding the state average, and LEAs currently operating without established dual enrollment pathways. Additionally, it provides the human capital investment necessary for long-term impact. This framework ensures every dollar results in high-quality, transfer-aligned courses. 

Together, these initiatives provide policy reform to protect students and the capital investment to empower schools, and make sure that marginalized students have meaningful access to dual enrollment.