Toni Atkins fought to restore millions in critical education funding lost during the recession and to increase access to higher education for all Californians. Toni was named Legislator of the Year by the California State Student Association and has fought to:

• Increase General fund spending for education to its highest level ever: $14.8 billion – including $12 million for San Diego State University and $7.4 million for San Marcos School District
• Strengthen and expand the Middle Class Scholarship to help more students and families afford college — over 3,000 San Diego families were offered scholarships in 2014-15
• Pass the Dream Act, allowing Dreamers to receive financial aid, benefiting hundreds of San Diego area students.
• Ensure California’s higher education segments give veterans credit for their military service
• Increase funding and the number of competitive Cal Grant awards, giving over 2,000 San Diegans CalGrants worth $12 million
• Commission an audit and oversight hearings on the issue of Sexual Harassment and Assault on College Campuses
• Require California’s public higher education institutions to provide priority campus housing to current and former homeless youth.
• Encourage and increase enrollment of California students at our UC and CSU campuses
• Provide Community Colleges with approximately $2 billion in Proposition 98 General Fund increases over the last four years
• Restore funding for programs that serve disabled and underrepresented community college students to pre-recession levels
• Invest $62.3 million to increase full-time faculty at colleges and require colleges with lower faculty numbers to hire more. With $2.6 million specifically for the San Diego Community College District.

October 13, 2016