Foster youth heading to college in Murrieta and across Riverside County will be able to defer tuition and fees until financial aid arrives, starting in the 2027-28 academic year, under a new California law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Assembly Bill 2768 and Senate Bill 1017, both sponsored by the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE), remove barriers that have long kept foster students from advancing in school. RCOE, which serves 23 districts including Murrieta Valley Unified School District, announced the signings Wednesday, Oct. 21.

AB 2768, authored by Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, requires colleges and universities to let foster youth defer tuition, housing, food and educational material costs until after financial aid arrives. Financial aid is typically distributed after classes begin, and foster youth often lack family support to cover costs in the gap.

Catalina Cifuentes, RCOE's executive director of college and career readiness, told lawmakers at a June hearing that even small amounts create outsized obstacles, as reported by The Imprint.

"When you're a foster student, $100 can feel like a million dollars," Cifuentes said.

SB 1017, authored by state Sen. Eloise Gomez Reyes, lowers the age at which foster youth can access their own student records from 16 to 14. RCOE said frequent school changes compound challenges for children in foster care, who move schools an average of eight times and lose up to six months of learning with each move.

Nationally, fewer than 3% of foster youth earn a college degree, according to RCOE. Foster youth graduate from high school at a rate of 61.2%, compared with 86.2% statewide.

Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez, who launched RCOE's Foster Youth Success Initiative in 2024, said foster youth from Riverside County testified in Sacramento in support of both bills. The initiative operates a Foster Youth Student Empowerment Program across 12 county school districts.

Murrieta Valley USD lists Tamara Dewey, coordinator of student support services, as its foster youth and McKinney-Vento liaison. Families with questions can reach Dewey at (951) 696-1600, ext. 1164, according to the district's foster youth page.

RCOE's Foster Youth Student Empowerment Program will receive the Growing Inland Achievement 2026 Equity-Focused Award at a ceremony at the Riverside Convention Center on Nov. 4.