For first-generation college student Oscar Gaytan, community college was an affordable way to figure out what he was interested in and whether college was something he wanted to pursue.

Incoming first-year undergraduate students are increasingly concerned with the cost of their education, a national survey found.
The Cooperative Institutional Research Program Freshman Survey found 55.9 percent of incoming first-year students are at least somewhat concerned with the cost of their education and 13.3 percent have major concerns about financing their education.

The University of California announced that starting in October it will no longer ask prospective employees to indicate on their job application whether they have been convicted of a crime.

As a formerly incarcerated student, Armando Tellez’s path to higher education was far from traditional.
“I got shot when I was 21. That was the same year I enrolled in college,” said Tellez, who will be graduating with other formerly incarcerated students this week as part of the Underground Scholars Initiative.

The University Religious Conference at UCLA elected a new president and created two new student group funds Tuesday.
The organization’s board of directors elected Kenn Heller at its board meeting Tuesday evening at the UCLA Faculty Center.

This post was updated April 25 at 7:15 p.m.
The University of California Office of the President has misleading budgeting practices, which resulted in accumulating a surplus of $175 million it did not disclose, according to a state audit released Tuesday.

A UCLA report found nonheterosexual youth in criminal detention are victims of violence more often than heterosexual youth.
The study, published in January, found that nonheterosexual youth are disproportionately incarcerated and are more likely to experience sexual violence and other forms of abuse while incarcerated.

The rights of transgender students in California are still protected despite a directive administered by the Trump administration.
The Trump administration rescinded guidelines put in place by former President Barack Obama, which protected transgender students’ access to restrooms corresponding with their gender identity or gender expression.

The UCLA Division of Social Sciences offered faculty up to $1000 to teach seminars about President Donald Trump and the 2016 election in the spring.
Faculty will lead six seminars about issues relating to the 2016 election, some of which were awarded funds through the Social Sciences Dean’s Fund for Programs & Teaching Related to the 2016 Presidential Election.