Gov. Newsom Signs Bill Ending UC Berkeley’s Enrollment Cap

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill to reverse the enrollment cap on the University of California, Berkeley — allowing the school to accept more students for the 2022-2023 school year.

Senate Bill 118 passed right on time for UC Berkeley’s decision day, which is March 24. The California state legislature unanimously passed SB-118 on March 14. Shortly after the bill was passed, Newsom signed off on it, meaning the bill went into effect immediately.

Originally, the lawsuit against UC Berkeley limited the number of students the school could admit — impacting thousands of students’ acceptances. The lawsuit objected against the school’s expansion of student enrollment, claiming it caused environmental damages and increased housing costs.

The neighborhood group initially succeeded in winning the lawsuit — forcing the school to freeze in-person student admissions. UC Berkeley began making new plans and searching for creative ways to limit the impact on potential incoming students. But many California politicians openly disagreed with the enrollment cap.

“I’m grateful to the Legislature for moving quickly on this critical issue — it sends a clear signal that California won’t let lawsuits get in the way of the education and dreams of thousands of students, our future leaders and innovators,” Newsom stated.