Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif. (Northwalker/Wikimedia Commons)
Aimed at making it easier for high school seniors to continue their education, a recently introduced bill would create a pilot program with Cerritos College that offers students an easier way to enroll, free of administrative hurdles.
AB 1636, the Cerritos College Seamless Enrollment Act, was introduced by Assemblymember José Luis Solace of Lakewood this week. The bill would allow the Cerritos Community College District to create a “ready-to-enroll” record using K-12 student data for high school seniors who live within its service area.
“AB 1636 removes friction from the system while preserving student choice,” said Solache in a statement. “Too many students intend to go to college but get lost in the gap between graduation and enrollment. It’s about access, equity and meeting students where they are.”
Students who qualify for admission will be notified and given information about their options, financial aid and support services. The goal is to make it easier for students, specifically first-generation and low-income students, to attend the community college.
Located in Norwalk, Cerritos College is one of the five largest community colleges in L.A. County. According to its student data, 55% of its student population are first-generation students. In 2025, the school was named the sixth-best two-year Hispanic-serving institution in the country by the Washington Monthly.
"At Cerritos College, our responsibility is to remove barriers and make the path to college clear, simple and within reach for every student we serve,” said Jose Fierro, president/superintendent of the Cerritos Community College District. “Through this Seamless Access Pilot, we will use data already shared through our K-12 partners to turn opportunity into direct access. This is about making college a natural next step, not a complicated hurdle."
The bill will likely be heard in the Assembly next month, where it will have to pass committee and chamber reviews before moving on to the state Senate.
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