EDGE is proud to share an initial list of bill priorities for the second year of the 2025–2026 legislative session. This year’s priorities reflect our continued commitment to expanding access to education and workforce pathways for underserved Californians. Our supported bills span key themes, including strengthening financial aid and reducing barriers to college access, expanding […]
EDGE Policy Update – April 2026 Read More »
The California EDGE Coalition has released a new issue brief, Emergency Student Financial Assistance, highlighting the critical role that flexible, rapid-response aid plays in keeping adult students enrolled in career-focused postsecondary education and training programs on track to complete their education. As economic pressures continue to strain learners across the state, the brief underscores how
EDGE Highlights Urgent Need for Student Emergency Aid in Latest Issue Brief Read More »
Rapid federal policy changes are creating significant uncertainty for California’s health care system—with implications that extend beyond health coverage to the state’s workforce, economy, and economic mobility. A new EDGE fact sheet, Federal Policy Shifts—Impacts on California’s Health Care System and Workforce, highlights how recent federal actions could increase the number of uninsured Californians, raise
The Legislature hit its bill introduction deadline on Friday, February 20. Thus far, hundreds of bills have been introduced on various topics, including education, workforce development, and safety net issues, many of which aim to support Californians as federal actions create new risks to support services, especially in underserved communities. As the second year of
EDGE Policy Update – February 2026 Read More »
The California EDGE Coalition invites partners to sign on in support of our 2026 Policy Priorities and/or engage in collective advocacy efforts advancing economic mobility for Californians who have been historically excluded from the state’s prosperity. Our 2026 Policy Priorities advance a bold, equity-centered vision to: Advance Equitable Pathways to Quality Jobs by connecting Californians to coordinated
Join Us in Collective Advocacy to Expand Access to Good Jobs Read More »
The California EDGE Coalition’s 2026 Policy Priorities reflect a shared commitment to building a more inclusive, resilient, and equitable economy—one where all Californians can access high-quality jobs and long-term economic security. As a nonpartisan alliance of business, labor, workforce, education, and social justice organizations, EDGE advances policies that connect education, workforce systems, and economic opportunity
Introducing California EDGE Coalition’s 2026 Policy Priorities Read More »
On January 9, Governor Newsom released the 2026–27 State Budget proposal, a $248.3 billion General Fund plan that largely protects prior-year investments. But it offers few major new initiatives and does not include new revenue solutions to address looming federal cuts to health care and food assistance, or the affordability pressures hitting millions of Californians.
California EDGE Coalition’s Summary of the Governor’s 2026-27 State Budget Proposal Read More »
Under the 2025 reconciliation bill, known as H.R. 1, access to Pell Grants was expanded to allow students in programs as short as eight weeks to receive funding under the new Workforce Pell program. The federal expansion of Pell Grants to support short-term workforce training represents a major opportunity to strengthen California’s talent pipeline, particularly
Making College Work Negotiated rulemaking for Workforce Pell is now underway. The AHEAD Committee met last week and reached consensus on initial Workforce Pell regulations, with all members voting in favor except for one abstention. Following the convening, the Department of Education will move forward with drafting a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. While consensus
National Skills Coalition Federal Update for California December 2025 Read More »
Thank you to everyone who registered for our recent EDGE Coalition webinar highlighting The Missing Piece: Flexible Financial Aid Recommendations for Workforce Learners. The discussion focused on key findings from EDGE’s new report and examined how flexible financial aid policies can better support working learners, offering practical short- and long-term solutions to make these systems