LOS ANGELES (AP) - California's college graduates are getting a bonus on their diplomas this year - the autograph of a Hollywood superstar.

Now that Arnold Schwarzenegger is governor, his name appears on every degree awarded by the state's two largest university systems. That has excited some graduates who are fans of the governor but dismayed others who are not fond of his movies or politics.

"It kind of makes the diploma seem like a bit of a joke that an action hero has signed and validated it," said Bridget O'Brien, who graduated in December from the University of California, Los Angeles.

"I got a B.A. in geography, but I think my diploma is B.S."

O'Brien, who opposed the recall election that propelled Schwarzenegger to the governor's seat, was among the first batch of students to receive diplomas with the actor's signature. The others will be given out after the more traditional graduation ceremonies this month.

Devin Theobald, who graduates this week from Humboldt State University, said the signature has symbolic value to him because Schwarzenegger rose from roots as an Austrian immigrant to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars and governor of the nation's largest state.

"He is a man living the American dream, giving all hope for success," said Theobald, a member of the Republican club on the campus, which is along the state's northern coast near the Oregon border.

It's not the first time college graduates in California have taken home diplomas with a famous signature. Ronald Reagan was governor for eight years, winning the first of his two terms in 1966.

But Schwarzenegger is one of the world's most popular movie stars, far more popular than Reagan was. His fame adds an amusing twist to the otherwise traditional document.

His signature will appear on the diplomas of the 125,000 students who graduate each year from the nine-campus University of California system and the 23-campus California State University system. His signature will not be included on degrees awarded by the state's community colleges.

A column in the Daily Californian, the student newspaper at the University of California, Berkeley, suggested diplomas granted during Schwarzenegger's tenure might become a collectors' item. Some students even joked that they would consider putting their degrees up for bid on eBay.

A Schwarzenegger autograph, however, lists for just $30 or less on the Internet auction site. The value of the diploma signatures could be even less because they are copies of one delivered to each campus by the governor's office.

That hasn't hurt the enthusiasm of students such as Ty Daniels, a junior at California State University, San Marcos, who sees his diploma as a keepsake.

"It is definitely something I can look back on and tell the story to my kids and grandkids," said Daniels, who supported last year's recall of former Gov. Gray Davis. "Most of my friends feel the same way."

Sarah Wagner, who graduates next month from UCLA, said it doesn't matter whose signature is on her degree.

"Whether or not he's the governor or a movie star, I'm just excited to get my diploma," she said.