Santa Clara University widens California Promise to families earning up to $150,000

Santa Clara University is expanding its California Promise aid program to all California students from families earning $150,000 or less, starting in fall 2027. The move extends full financial support to more undergraduates and adds transfer students to a program the university says is central to its access goals.

Why it matters: - Santa Clara University is broadening access to a private Jesuit education for more California families. - The expansion could reduce out-of-pocket costs for admitted students and help the university move closer to its goal of meeting full demonstrated financial need. - The change also strengthens a pipeline for transfer students from California community colleges, a key access point for the state.

What happened: - Santa Clara University expanded its California Promise aid program to include California students from families making $150,000 or less. - The new eligibility standard starts in fall 2027. - Accepted students in that income band will receive aid that covers 100% of tuition, fees and room and board after expected family contribution. - Transfer students are now included in the program. - Admitted transfer students with family income of $150,000 or less will receive scholarships of at least $35,000, with additional aid possible based on individual circumstances.

The details: - Eva Blanco Masias, Santa Clara’s vice president for enrollment management, said the expansion is intended to ensure every accepted student has the financial support needed to attend. - Santa Clara says the move supports California’s broader effort to increase degree attainment. - The university has 43 transfer admission agreements with community colleges that guarantee eligible students admission to all three undergraduate schools. - More than half of Santa Clara’s transfer students come from California Community Colleges. - Roughly 300 new transfer students are expected to join the university community during the 2026-2027 academic year. - The California Promise program joins Santa Clara’s national Cristo Rey Promise program, which guarantees financial aid will cover 100% of a Cristo Rey Network high school graduate’s demonstrated financial need. - Promise aid packages can include university grants, federal aid and state aid, and they renew annually.

Between the lines: - Santa Clara is using aid as a strategic enrollment tool, not just a financial support program. - The university’s emphasis on transfer students reflects the scale of the California Community Colleges system and the state’s push for more residents with postsecondary credentials. - The program also signals a continued effort to compete for high-achieving students across income levels while preserving a selective admissions profile. - This year’s incoming California Promise students received an average of $71,358 in grants and scholarships, which exceeded the cost of tuition. - Santa Clara currently meets 81% of the demonstrated need of all first-year students. - More than four in five Santa Clara students receive financial aid. - Graduates with debt leave with an average of less than $19,000 in federal loans, compared with the national average of more than $29,560.

What's next: - Over the next four years, the California Promise program is expected to include more than 1,000 students. - Santa Clara says the program will continue expanding in the years ahead. - The university is working toward meeting 100% of demonstrated need for every student. - Santa Clara’s broader access efforts also include the 23-year-old LEAD Scholars Program, which recently doubled capacity to nearly 200 incoming first-generation students. - The LEAD Scholars Program has a 91% graduation rate, compared with a nationwide average of 24% for first-generation students. - Since 2023, Santa Clara has also partnered with the Posse Foundation to offer full-tuition scholarships to selected student leaders from the Los Angeles area. - The university has welcomed several cohorts of College Track scholars and joined more than 130 institutions in the American Talent Initiative.

The bottom line: - Santa Clara University is widening its aid net for California families and transfer students as it pushes toward full need coverage and broader enrollment access.