Assembly Higher Education Committee Chancellor Goldsmith Testimony

Thank you, Chair Fong and assembly members, for your consideration and time.  

First, I’d be remiss not to acknowledge that 2025 has been a devastating year for public education across America. Community colleges, along with CSUs and UCs, are under attack—harming students, faculty, and the communities we serve.

This legislation is not an attack on the CSUs. We deeply value our partnerships with them. Yet we must confront reality: California’s healthcare workforce needs far exceed our current capacity. Our public institutions are full. Every year, hundreds of our Associate Degree in Nursing graduates are forced to either leave the state or turn to costly, for-profit universities just to complete their BSN. That’s not just inefficient—it’s unjust.

For-profit universities now produce over 50% of California’s BSN graduates, saddling students with massive debt while often offering lower quality programs. They bypass the standards and investments California has made in its public institutions—and the California Board of Registered Nursing continues approving more of these private schools.

If the narrative is that we have enough BSN capacity, why are new for-profit programs rapidly expanding—often using a "pay-to-play" model to buy access to clinical placements? This model displaces our public colleges and CSUs. Hospital staff are overwhelmed, and our students lose diversity and depth of clinical experience. The number one transfer destination for SCCCD students isn’t a CSU—it’s an out-of-state for-profit.

Just for the State Center Colleges - we have current 445 students enrolled in the RN program …last year we transferred a total of 32 students to all CSUs.  Yet, 281 of our graduates went to out of state or private for profit universities.

California’s 116 community colleges are educational powerhouses. AB 1400 is a smart, equitable investment in our public higher education system—and in our state's future healthcare workforce. In regions like ours, where hospitals are desperate for nurses, our students need affordable options, Assemblymember Soria’s bill is a critical solution.

Members of the Committee, AB 1400 is an opportunity to lead: to expand BSN access, reduce student debt, and strengthen California’s nursing workforce. Our campuses are ready to deliver. Let’s fix this leak in the pipeline, keep our talented students local, and build a healthier California—with community colleges at the table.