HELP FOSTER YOUTH

CALIFORNIA · FOR CURRENT & FORMER FOSTER YOUTH

A Place to Live While You Go to School.

California public colleges with student housing must give current and former foster youth priority — including housing that stays open over school breaks — and cannot cancel your housing just because you could not pay before your financial aid arrived. This page lists the campuses that have housing and who to ask at each one.

New law AB 2766 takes effect January 1, 2027. Campuses are updating their housing applications and posting eligibility information now — ask for the priority even if the form has not changed yet.

Check if this applies to you

  • You are a current or former foster youth, and a California or tribal court established or continued your dependency on or after your 13th birthday.
  • You have submitted a FAFSA or a California Dream Act Application.
  • You are enrolling at a California Community College, a CSU campus, or a participating UC campus that offers student housing.
  • For priority class registration: you are under 26 — or over 25 and taking part in NextUp at a community college.

This is general information, not a guarantee of eligibility. Your campus confirms whether you qualify. Bring proof of your foster care history if the campus asks for it.

California campuses with student housing

Search by campus, city or region. Each link goes to the campus's own official website — look for the office listed under the campus name, or the housing office.

41 campuses shown

California Community Colleges with student housing

Community colleges that have student housing must give foster youth priority, including housing that stays open year-round and over school breaks at no extra cost. Ask for the NextUp or EOPS office.

NextUp (statewide foster youth program)

  • College of the Siskiyous

    Weed · Far Northern California

    Ask for: EOPS / NextUp

    Campus website

  • Columbia College

    Sonora · Central Sierra

    Ask for: EOPS / NextUp

    Campus website

  • Feather River College

    Quincy · Northern Sierra

    Ask for: EOPS / NextUp

    Campus website

  • Lassen Community College

    Susanville · Far Northern California

    Ask for: EOPS / NextUp

    Campus website

  • Orange Coast College

    Costa Mesa · Orange County

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars / NextUp

    Campus website

  • Reedley College

    Reedley · Central Valley

    Ask for: EOPS / NextUp

    Campus website

  • Shasta College

    Redding · Far Northern California

    Ask for: Foster Youth Success / NextUp

    Campus website

  • Taft College

    Taft · Kern County

    Ask for: EOPS / NextUp

    Campus website

  • West Hills College Coalinga

    Coalinga · Central Valley

    Ask for: EOPS / NextUp

    Campus website

California State University campuses

Every CSU campus offers student housing. CSU campuses must give foster youth priority and cannot deny or cancel your housing because you could not pay housing costs before your financial aid arrived.

CSU system website

  • CSU Bakersfield

    Bakersfield · Central Valley

    Ask for: Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)

    Campus website

  • CSU Channel Islands

    Camarillo · Central Coast

    Ask for: EOP / Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • CSU Chico

    Chico · Northern California

    Ask for: Promising Futures / EOP

    Campus website

  • CSU Dominguez Hills

    Carson · Los Angeles County

    Ask for: EOP / Foster Youth Program

    Campus website

  • CSU East Bay

    Hayward · Bay Area

    Ask for: EOP / Renaissance Scholars

    Campus website

  • Fresno State

    Fresno · Central Valley

    Ask for: Renaissance Scholars

    Campus website

  • CSU Fullerton

    Fullerton · Orange County

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • Cal Poly Humboldt

    Arcata · Far Northern California

    Ask for: EOP / Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • CSU Long Beach

    Long Beach · Los Angeles County

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • Cal State LA

    Los Angeles · Los Angeles County

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • Cal Poly Maritime

    Vallejo · Bay Area

    Ask for: Student Services

    Now part of Cal Poly.

    Campus website

  • CSU Monterey Bay

    Seaside · Central Coast

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars / EOP

    Campus website

  • CSU Northridge

    Northridge · Los Angeles County

    Ask for: EOP Resilient Scholars

    Campus website

  • Cal Poly Pomona

    Pomona · Los Angeles County

    Ask for: Renaissance Scholars

    Campus website

  • Sacramento State

    Sacramento · Sacramento Region

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • CSU San Bernardino

    San Bernardino · Inland Empire

    Ask for: Renaissance Scholars

    Campus website

  • San Diego State

    San Diego · San Diego County

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • San Francisco State

    San Francisco · Bay Area

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • San José State

    San José · Bay Area

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

    San Luis Obispo · Central Coast

    Ask for: Cal Poly Scholars / EOP

    Campus website

  • CSU San Marcos

    San Marcos · San Diego County

    Ask for: ACE Scholars Services

    Campus website

  • Sonoma State

    Rohnert Park · North Bay

    Ask for: EOP / Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • Stanislaus State

    Turlock · Central Valley

    Ask for: Promise Scholars

    Campus website

University of California campuses (participating)

UC campuses take part when the Regents adopt the law's provisions. All nine undergraduate UC campuses offer student housing. Ask the campus foster youth or Guardian Scholars program whether the housing priority applies yet.

UC student affairs

  • UC Berkeley

    Berkeley · Bay Area

    Ask for: Hope Scholars

    Campus website

  • UC Davis

    Davis · Sacramento Region

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • UC Irvine

    Irvine · Orange County

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • UCLA

    Los Angeles · Los Angeles County

    Ask for: Bruin Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • UC Merced

    Merced · Central Valley

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • UC Riverside

    Riverside · Inland Empire

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • UC San Diego

    La Jolla · San Diego County

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • UC Santa Barbara

    Santa Barbara · Central Coast

    Ask for: Guardian Scholars

    Campus website

  • UC Santa Cruz

    Santa Cruz · Central Coast

    Ask for: Smith Renaissance Society

    Campus website

Community college housing is still uncommon, and this list covers the colleges known to have student housing. If a college near you is not listed, call its NextUp or EOPS office and ask — the housing priority applies at any community college that has housing.

Official sources

Official sources last verified· September 21, 2026

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