Bill Text

 

SENATE BILL                                                                      No. 15

 

             Introduced by Senators Block, De León, and Liu

  (Coauthors: Senators Allen, Beall, Hancock, Hill, Hueso, Lara,

                    Leno, Mitchell, Wieckowski, and Wolk)

                     (Coauthor: Assembly Member Medina)

 

 

                                     December 1, 2014

 

 

 

 

   An act to amend Sections 69432 and 69437 of, and to add Article 23

(commencing with Section 70030) to Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division

5 of Title 3 of, the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.

 

 

                             legislative counsel's digest

   SB 15, as introduced, Block. Postsecondary education: financial aid.

   The Cal Grant Program establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement

awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement awards,

the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C awards,

and the Cal Grant T awards under the administration of the Student Aid

Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under

these programs for participating students attending qualifying

institutions. Existing law establishes the total number of Competitive

Cal Grant A and B awards granted annually at 22,500 and the maximum

tuition award amount for each Cal Grant A and B award for new students

attending private nonprofit postsecondary educational institution at

$9,084 for the 2014­15 award year and $8,056 for the 2015­16 award

year and each award year thereafter.

   This bill would increase the total number of Competitive Cal Grant

A and B awards granted annually to 30,000 and would increase the

maximum tuition award amount for Cal Grant A and B for students at

private nonprofit postsecondary schools to $9,084 for the 2015­16

award year and each award year thereafter.

 

 

 

 

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                                             2SB 15

 

   This bill would establish, commencing with the 2015­16 academic

year, the Competitive Incentive Grant Award to provide students with

financial need attending a campus of the California State University

with additional financial aid over a 3-year period, as specified.

   Vote:   majority.   Appropriation:   no.  Fiscal committee:   yes.

State-mandated local program:   no.

 

        The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

 

 1        SECTION 1.  (a)  The Legislature finds and declares all of the

 2    following:

 3      (1)  According to the Public Policy Institute of California, in

 4    2025, 41 percent of jobs will require at least a bachelor's degree.

 5    However, if current trends persists, only 35 percent of working-age

 6   California adults will have a bachelor's degree by 2025. Without

 7    more students entering and completing a college degree, California

 8    will not meet workforce demands.

 9       (2)  According to the Public Policy Institute of California, in-state

10    full tuition at the University of California and the California State

11  University has risen more dramatically than at other public

12   universities in other states over the past decade. From 2004 to

13   2103, the average tuition at the University of California and the

14    California State University has more than doubled. California must

15    make college more affordable and accessible for all of its students.

16      (3)  According to the Campaign for College Opportunity, an

17    individual between 25 and 64 years of age who completes at least

18    a bachelor of arts degree can anticipate earning an additional one

19    million three hundred thousand dollars ($1,300,000) in wages and

20    salary.

21     (4)  According to the State Education Executive Officers,

22   enrolling in 15 credit hours per term is the number one predictor

23    of student success.

24       (5)  According to the Campaign for College Opportunity, if a

25   California State University student enrolls in less than 15 credits

26    per semester or takes time off, he or she will take longer than the

27   expected four years to earn a bachelor's degree that requires 120

28    credits.

29      (6)  According to the Campaign for College Opportunity, the

30   increased cost of tuition to attend a California State University

31   may have caused more students to work, or work more hours, to

 

 

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 1    pay for school. Research has demonstrated that working behavior

 2   is a significant contributor to delayed time to earning a degree.

 3    Essentially, students are forced to choose between either working

 4    to earn money or taking additional courses to progress in earning

 5    their degree.

 6       (b)  It is the intent of the Legislature, in the 2015­16 fiscal year,

 7    to appropriate funds to the Regents of the University of California

 8    for the following purposes:

 9       (1)  Eliminate the five-percent tuition increase adopted by the

10    Regents of the University of California in November 2014.

11       (2)  Provide additional course offerings for students to complete

12    a bachelor's degree in four years or less.

13     (3)  Provide support services to students to aid them in

14    completing a bachelor's degree in four years of less.

15       SEC. 2.  Section 69432 of the Education Code is amended to

16    read:

17        69432.  (a)  Cal Grant Program awards shall be known as "Cal

18    Grant A Entitlement Awards," "Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards,"

19   "California Community College Transfer Entitlement Awards,"

20    "Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards," "Cal Grant C Awards,"

21    and "Cal Grant T Awards."

22      (b)  Maximum award amounts for students at independent

23   institutions and for Cal Grant C and T awards shall be identified

24    in the annual Budget Act. Maximum award amounts for Cal Grant

25    A and B awards for students attending public institutions shall be

26    referenced in the annual Budget Act.

27       (c)  (1)  Notwithstanding subdivision (b), and subdivision (c) of

28   Section 66021.2, commencing with the 2013­14 award year, the

29   maximum tuition award amounts for Cal Grant A and B awards

30 for students attending private for-profit and nonprofit

31    postsecondary educational institutions shall be as follows:

32       (A)  Four thousand dollars ($4,000) for new recipients attending

33    private for-profit postsecondary educational institutions.

34       (B)  For the 2014­15 award year, nine Nine thousand eighty-four

35   dollars ($9,084) for new recipients attending private nonprofit

36   postsecondary educational institutions. For the 2015­16 award

37    year and each award year thereafter, eight thousand fifty-six dollars

38 ($8,056) for new recipients attending private nonprofit

39    postsecondary educational institutions.

 

 

 

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 1       (2)  The renewal award amount for a student whose initial award

 2    is subject to a maximum award amount specified in this subdivision

 3    shall be calculated pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of

 4    Section 69433.

 5       (3)  Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1), new

 6   recipients attending private for-profit postsecondary educational

 7   institutions that are accredited by the Western Association of

 8   Schools and Colleges as of July 1, 2012, shall have the same

 9    maximum tuition award amounts as are set forth in subparagraph

10    (B) of paragraph (1).

11       SEC. 3.  Section 69437 of the Education Code is amended to

12    read:

13        69437.  (a)  Commencing with the 2001­02 academic year, and

14  each academic year thereafter, there shall be established the

15   Competitive Cal Grant A and B award program for students who

16    did not receive a Cal Grant A or B entitlement award pursuant to

17  Article 2 (commencing with Section 69434), Article 3

18    (commencing with Section 69435), or Article 4 (commencing with

19  Section 69436). Awards made under this section are not

20    entitlements. The submission of an application by a student under

21    this section shall not entitle that student to an award. The selection

22   of students under this article shall be determined pursuant to

23  subdivision (c) and other relevant criteria established by the

24    commission.

25       (b)  A total of  22,500  30,000  Cal Grant A and B awards shall

26   be granted annually under this article on a competitive basis for

27   applicants who meet the general eligibility criteria established in

28   Article 1 (commencing with Section 69430) and the priorities

29    established by the commission pursuant to subdivision (c).

30       (1)  Fifty percent of the awards referenced in this subdivision

31   are available to all students, including California community

32  college students, who meet the financial need and academic

33  requirements established pursuant to this article. A student

34    enrolling at a qualifying baccalaureate degree granting institution

35   shall apply by the March 2 deadline. A California community

36    college student is eligible to apply at the March 2 or the September

37    2 deadline.

38       (2)  Fifty percent of the awards referenced in this subdivision

39   are reserved for students who will be enrolled at a California

40   community college. The commission shall establish a second

 

 

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 1  application deadline of September 2 for community college

 2   students to apply for these awards effective with the fall term or

 3    semester of the 2001­02 academic year.

 4       (3)  If any awards are not distributed pursuant to paragraphs (1)

 5    and (2) upon initial allocation of the awards under this article, the

 6   commission shall make awards to as many eligible students as

 7   possible, beginning with the students with the lowest expected

 8   family contribution and highest academic merit, consistent with

 9   the criteria adopted by the commission pursuant to subdivision

10   (c), as practicable without exceeding an annual cumulative total

11    of  22,500  30,000  awards.

12      (c)  (1)  On or before February 1, 2001, acting pursuant to a

13   public hearing process that is consistent with the Bagley-Keene

14   Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120)

15    of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government

16   Code), the commission shall establish selection criteria for Cal

17   Grant A and B awards under the competitive program that give

18  special consideration to disadvantaged students, taking into

19  consideration those financial, educational, cultural, language,

20    home, community, environmental, and other conditions that hamper

21   a student's access to, and ability to persist in, postsecondary

22    education programs.

23      (2)  Additional consideration shall be given to each of the

24    following:

25       (A)  Students who graduated from high school or its equivalent

26   prior to the 2000­01 academic year. This subparagraph shall not

27    be applicable after the 2004­05 academic year.

28       (B)  Students pursuing Cal Grant B awards who reestablish their

29    grade point averages.

30       (C)  Students who did not receive awards pursuant to Article 2

31   (commencing with Section 69434), Article 3 (commencing with

32    Section 69435), or Article 4 (commencing with Section 69436).

33      (d)  All other students who meet the eligibility requirements

34    pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 69430) are eligible

35    to compete for an award pursuant to this article.

36        SEC. 4.  Article 23 (commencing with Section 70030) is added

37   to Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education

38    Code, to read:

 

 

 

 

 

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 1                    Article 23.  Competitive Incentive Grant Award

 2

 3       70030.  For purposes of this article, "student with financial

 4    need" means a student attending a campus of the California State

 5   University who has demonstrated a need for a state, federal, or

 6    institutional financial aid to pay for tuition.

 7       70031.  (a)  Commencing with the 2015­16 academic year,

 8    there shall be established the Competitive Incentive Grant Award

 9   for students with financial need. The purpose of the grant award

10    is to provide those students with additional financial aid to offset

11   their total cost of education, including the costs of housing,

12    textbooks, and transportation.

13       (b)  The Competitive Incentive Grant Award shall be allocated

14    to a student with financial need over a three-year period as follows:

15       (1)  One thousand dollars ($1,000) if the student completes 30

16    units by the end of his or her first academic year.

17       (2)  One thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) if the student

18    completes 60 units by the end of his or her second academic year.

19       (3)  Two thousand dollars ($2,000) if the student completes 90

20    units by the end of his or her third academic year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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