Under a contract with the California Student Aid Commission, The Century Foundation (TCF) has been tasked with "identifying options for improving affordability at California colleges and universities," and suggesting ways to streamline and consolidate existing programs "to reduce current students' cost of attendance, thus reducing or eliminating the need to rely on student loan debt." The project team interviewed more than fifty stakeholders, including representatives from college access organizations, K-12 education, all of the higher education segments, several state agencies including the legislature, and others. The recommendations focus on two major reforms: (1) consolidating the Cal Grant, while taking phased steps to improve overall affordability for low-income and middle-income students so that students have an option to take on little or no debt, and (2) scaling California Student Aid Commission's (CSAC) role in providing early, clear information to the public about student aid.