California is home to some of the nation’s premier higher education systems, yet many students, particularly those facing the greatest barriers, find these institutions unaffordable. A key factor is the cost of attendance (COA), which helps set the limit on the total aid a student can receive each year. Federal rules let financial aid administrators adjust a student’s COA on a case-by-case basis when actual expenses are higher, but students must know these adjustments exist and how to request them.

Join John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) and panelists from California’s public colleges and universities for a statewide webinar on the first comprehensive examination of how the state’s higher education institutions administer COA adjustments. Drawing on a survey of 57 undergraduate-serving campuses, data from the California Student Aid Commission, and more than a dozen interviews with financial aid administrators, the research highlights promising practices for making COA adjustments.

The webinar will also explore how these practices align with Assembly Bill 2251, which takes effect in the 2027-28 academic year and sets new transparency and accessibility requirements for COA budgets and adjustments. Panelists will close with recommendations for future policy and practice.