​​SAN JOSE, CA – This month, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 243 (AB 243)​. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens and co-sponsored by the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) and the County of Santa Clara, reduces barriers for youth in juvenile justice or child welfare systems to access financial aid as they pursue higher education. 

“Assembly Bill 243 is more than legislation,” said County Superintendent of Schools. Dr. David M. Toston, Sr. “It’s a real opportunity for students who’ve faced big obstacles to pursue college. Students now have one less barrier in pursuit of their bright futures.” 

Taking effect on January 1, 2026, AB 243 requires colleges and universities to accept an attestation letter from a local education agency, county probation department, or welfare department as proof of financial aid independence for admissions or financial aid applications. This means the 116 California community colleges, 10 Universities of California, and 23 California State Universities have to accept a youth’s letter of attestation, thus removing a barrier to college. Before AB 243, incarcerated youth experienced challenges in providing proof of their financial independence from family, which left them with two choices: pay for college out-of-pocket or forgo higher education. 

“While all students are required to complete the FAFSA, incarcerated students often face significant challenges in obtaining the necessary information to fill the application out due to their estrangement from their parents or guardians, which categorizes them as a ‘special circumstance,’” explained Jorge Güitrón, a Secure Youth Treatment Facility (SYTF) College Liaison for Alternative Education at the SCCOE. “While foster youth have a standardized process to verify their status, the process for incarcerated students who are estranged from their families is left to each individual college.”

Güitrón explained the bill, now legislation, was modeled after the process for youth in foster care or who are homeless. This was done in collaboration and partnership with the other bill co-sponsor, Santa Clara County Probation. 

Daisy, a former student, shared her experience of navigating financial aid for college with the legislature during an Assembly Higher Education Committee hearing for AB 243 on March 18.

“Being an incarcerated student came with many challenges,” she said, adding that access to Canvas through two-factor authentication without access to a phone was one, while FAFSA for her peers was another. 

“I honestly had a more straightforward process as a homeless youth and McKinney-Vento student. I was able to provide that letter to establish me as independent for FAFSA,” Daisy said in her testimony. “This let me bypass one of the biggest hurdles our population has. Unfortunately, many of my peers in the SYTF program are not as fortunate to have as easy a process. I have seen many of my peers struggle to complete FAFSA verification due to the difficulties in contacting their parents, creating yet another barrier to accessing education.”

This year, Güitrón provided testimony before committees on three occasions in Sacramento to advocate on behalf of students he is working with. Upon his return to see students, he would share the progress on the bill and show them the recorded committee hearings. 

Shortly after Newsom put his signature on the bill, Güitrón announced to students the bill had been passed and signed. 

“As a human, as a student, they will have agency over their education,” Güitrón said. “This is only going to motivate [the students] more.” 

The passage of AB 243 will make the dream of college a reality.