Qualified high school students in California will be automatically enrolled into California State Universities without the need for an application, due to a new state law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.

SB 640 establishes the CSU Direct Admission Program, which will determine a high school student’s eligibility based on the California Colleges website. The California Guidance Initiative will then send students admission letters to inform students of their automatic acceptance to designated Cal States.

The bill was authored by State Senator Cristopher Cabaldon and is based on a similar system he proposed while Mayor of West Sacramento to guarantee tuition-free admission to Sacramento City College. Cabaldon said the bill aims to cut down the long application process that can deter qualified students due to complexity and cost.

“SB 640 reimagines the path from high school to college,” said Cabaldon in a statement. “It makes higher education the natural next step, not an intimidating maze of forms and fees.”

The bill will begin with 23 school districts in Riverside County that participated in a pilot program and an additional 20 that won’t be finalized until later this month. It also extends dual admission programs into the 2035-2036 school year. The programs allow students to complete either an associate degree of transfer or another established course of study at California community colleges, which will be required to promote these programs.

This comes as Cal State campuses, like Cal Poly Maritime Academy and Sonoma State University face declining enrollment numbers, according to King 5. Both schools faced budget shortfalls that caused program reductions, according to the Times Herald

One mother of two, Bonnie Delatorre, spoke with King 5 and expressed her support for the new law and believes it could lead to needed enrollment for Cal States.

“I think it’s going to help both ends, both the child and the schools, because I know the schools want to educate as [many] students as we can; we need the education,” said Delatorre.

The new bill is different from the University of California system, which offers guaranteed admission to a UC campus with available space. The guarantee applies to California students whose GPA falls within the top 9% of the state.

The law will come into effect for the 2026-2027 school year on Jan. 1, 2026.