The chancellor of the California Community Colleges system, Sonya Christian, reviewed and acknowledged Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2026–27 state budget during a teleconference on Feb. 3.
Newsom released his budget proposal on Jan. 7, outlining funding plans for the CCC system. Christian said millions of dollars are expected to be invested to support college needs across the state.
The proposed CCC budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year totals $15 billion, with additional one-time funding allocated for specific programs.
Chancellor highlights
Within the governor’s budget proposal, Christian highlighted several areas set to receive one-time funding.
Additional funds will be directed to the Student Support Block Grant, a program designed to strengthen existing student support services. According to the proposal, colleges may use the funding to assist students with food, housing, transportation and other financial needs.
Christian hopes this grant will act as a replacement for grants that were cut for Hispanic Serving Institutions and Minority Serving Institutions by the federal administration.
“Our colleges wanted to continue with their commitment to student success strategies that those grants have included,” Christian said.
The budget also includes funding to support dual enrollment through K-12 education. One-time funds will be allocated to the California Community Colleges system and the Career Access Pathways Grant Program to help colleges develop and expand dual enrollment opportunities, according to the proposal.
Christian said the system includes 72 districts and 116 colleges and currently lacks a centralized platform to store and revisit data. The budget proposes a one-time investment of $36 million and an ongoing $5 million to support the Common Cloud Data Platform. The platform aims to address fragmented data infrastructure by integrating technology tools across colleges.
Additionally, the proposal includes a one-time $120.7 million allocation to address facilities needs throughout the system.
Impact on Riverside Community College District
Many resource centers and student assistance programs within the Riverside Community College District will receive ongoing funding. Resource centers such as the Basic Needs Center are expected to see an 18.48% increase in funding.
The governor’s proposal also supports new campus construction across the district. A new education building at the Ben Clark Training Center is projected to cost $38 million. Moreno Valley College plans to construct a new Library Resource Center at a cost of $104 million, while Norco College will receive $81 million for a new library. Riverside City College is going to receive $47 million for a new cosmetology building.
RCCD is also expected to receive $1 million from the Student Support Block Grant starting in February.
