My wife was a graduate student at CAL beginning in 1978. We paid for her education out of our own pockets. It was negligible. But it wasn't free.
1968: Registration fee for all students is $300 per year. Nonresident tuition is $1,200 per year. Tuition is still free for all California residents.
1970: In a symbolic move away from free tuition for residents, students must now pay an additional “educational fee.” The fee is $150 per year for undergraduate students and $180 per year for graduate students.