(a) In order to help prospective students and their families more accurately calculate the cost of attendance, each campus of the California State University shall, and each campus of the University of California is requested to, post all of the following on its internet website, on or before February 1, 2020, and on or before February 1 each year thereafter:

(1) (A) Information about the market cost of one- and two-bedroom apartments and of one-person bedrooms in private houses in the areas surrounding that campus where its students commonly reside.

(B) In reporting this information, the campus shall exercise due diligence, and shall consult bona fide and reliable sources of current information about local housing market costs, including, but not necessarily limited to, information received from students of that campus, local newspapers and bulletin boards, and internet websites on which notices regarding local rental vacancies are posted. The information posted pursuant to this section shall be posted in the same location on the campus internet website where the housing cost estimates for off-campus students are posted.

(2) Separate estimates of other cost-of-living categories, on the same internet web page, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(A) The estimated cost of living at home or in a permanent residence, such as with a parent.

(B) The estimated cost of food.

(C) The estimated cost of transportation.

(D) The estimated cost of books and supplies.

(E) The estimated cost of miscellaneous expenses.

(F) The estimated cost of tuition.

(G) The estimated cost of mandatory student fees.

(H) A description of the data sources and methods used to calculate its estimates for each cost of living category.

(3) A statement emphasizing both of the following:

(A) All cost estimates reflect estimated costs for a typical student, but actual costs can vary considerably for individual students.

(B) The university strongly encourages prospective students and their families to consider how their own costs might differ from those given in the estimates, including by seeking out cost of attendance estimates from other sources and by considering whether they will face other costs that are not listed in the estimate categories or how their veteran status might affect costs.

(b) Each campus of the California State University shall, and each campus of the University of California is requested to, post the information described in subdivision (a) on the same internet web pages where it is required to post cost estimates of institutional housing and meal plans pursuant to Section 69503.6.

(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 370, Sec. 91. (SB 1371) Effective January 1, 2021.)