BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 194
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Date of Hearing: March 15, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Marty Block, Chair
AB 194 (Beall) - As Amended: March 8, 2011
SUBJECT : Public postsecondary education: priority enrollment:
foster youth.
SUMMARY : Requires California Community Colleges (CCC) and the
California State University (CSU), and requests the University
of California (UC), to give priority enrollment in classes to
foster youth or former foster youth, as defined. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Requires campuses of the CCC and CSU, and requests UC
campuses, to give priority enrollment in classes to foster
youth or former foster youth, as defined.
2)Defines the following:
a) "Foster youth" is any person who is currently in foster
care.
b) "Former foster youth" is any person who is an
emancipated foster youth who is up to 24 years of age.
3)Declares this act imposes a state mandate on CCC districts
that is reimbursable by the state.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires CCC and CSU, and requests UC, to give priority for
registration for enrollment to any member or former member of
the Armed Services for any academic term attended at one of
these institutions within two years of leaving active duty, if
the institution already administers a priority enrollment
system.
2)Exempts foster youth from uniform residency requirements.
3)Grants foster youth priority for year-round student housing.
4)Provides the federal Chafee Grant for undergraduate students
who are current or former foster youth, which may be used for
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career, technical training or college courses, subject to the
availability of federal funding.
5)Declares legislative intent for admission priority (generally
prioritizing admission of transfer students) and that the CSU
and UC maintain a student body comprised of 60% upper division
and 40% lower division students.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Foster youth and higher education : There are
currently between 600 and 800 former foster youth attending UC,
1,200 attending CSU, and 6,500 attending CCC. According to a
December 2005 report by the Institute for Higher Education
Policy entitled, "Higher Education Opportunities for Foster
Youth," of the foster youth who complete high school and are
college qualified, only about 20% enrolled in higher education
compared to about 60% of their peers. The report cites numerous
factors that negatively affect degree completion by foster
youth, namely lack of maturity and adult skills, dearth of
information, poverty, no family support or home base, and
inadequate financial aid, student services, and counseling.
Recommendations to improve higher education attainment of foster
youth include to raise expectations and pre-collegiate training
in the K-12 system to overcome the psychological, social, and
bureaucratic obstacles to higher education opportunities;
increase funding for financial aid, counseling, and student
services in the secondary and postsecondary systems; and
simplify and consolidate scattered programs and procedures that
complicate the process of obtaining benefits and education
(American Youth Policy Forum).
Existing services : The CCC Chancellor's Office administers the
Foster Youth Success Initiative, which assists foster youth by
connecting the students with support services and financial aid
needed to achieve their academic goals. CSU campuses administer
on-campus programs designed to provide comprehensive support
services for former foster youth to ensure the admission,
retention, and graduation of foster youth. UC campuses provide
financial support, academic advising and career counseling,
personal counseling, community engagement and assistance with
planning transitions to both college and employment.
Priority registration enrollment : Priority registration
enrollment decisions are made at the campus level at each
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segment. This process allows specified students access to
classes ahead of the general student population. As state
support for higher education has decreased while enrollments
have increased at the three segments, classes have become
increasingly impacted-unable to accommodate all students who
enroll in the course. Thus, students who have priority
registration enrollment status have a significant advantage over
other students, particularly at CCC.
Who currently receives priority ? Campuses have wide discretion
in how they assign priority, since current law provides that
priority be given to one group of students-current and former
members of the Armed Forces for two years upon leaving active
duty. UC, CSU, and CCC campuses provide student support for
foster youth through programs geared only for foster youth
and/or existing programs that serve low-income, underprepared
students and students with special needs. Since many current
and former foster youth participation in Extended Opportunity
Programs and Services (EOPS), which is designed for low-income,
underprepared students, these students may already receive
priority registration enrollment.
Some UC campuses grant priority registration to students with
disabilities, Regents Scholars, and athletes. CSU campuses
offer priority registration enrollment as they deem appropriate,
for example, to seniors nearing graduation and participants in
EOPS. Enrollment priorities at CCC campuses, where priority
enrollment is arguably of most benefit, vary across the state.
According to a December 2010 survey by the Legislative Analyst's
Office (LAO), each of the 76 campuses has a priority enrollment
system. Almost all campuses grant earliest registration to
students with disabilities and participants in EOPS. Other
groups include athletes and students in the state's welfare
program. Next, colleges usually assign relatively early
priority to students who were enrolled in the previous term and
those with a higher number of units (an indication that they may
be near their academic goal). Most first-time CCC students do
not receive priority registration enrollment and must wait until
open registration.
Recent efforts on CCC priority registration enrollment : As CCC
classes become more impacted, two efforts are considering how
priority registration enrollment should be used to improve both
student success and the efficient use of state funds. In its
January 2011 report, "Prioritizing Course Enrollment at the
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Community Colleges," LAO recommends that priority registration
enrollment reflect the goals of the state's Master Plan for
Higher Education. For example, highest priority should be given
to students who are fully matriculated (have participated in
assessment, orientation and counseling programs and completed an
educational plan) and are making satisfactory progress toward
their educational goals. Next highest priority should be
granted to new students who have completed matriculation
requirements and other key steps, such as apply for financial
aid. Nonmatriculated new and continuing students, students
attending for personal enrichment, and students who are not
making satisfactory progress toward their educational goal would
not be allowed to register until open enrollment. As a result
of SB 1143 (Liu), Chapter 409, Statutes of 2010, the CCC
Chancellor's Office has convened a Student Success Task Force
that is studying numerous factors, including priority
enrollment, as a means to improve the rate at which CCC students
meet their stated educational goals.
Related legislation : AB 649 (Harkey) of 2011, pending in the
Assembly, would extend priority registration enrollment to
former members of the Armed Services to those who are within
five years of leaving active duty. SB 813 (Committee on
Veterans Affairs), pending in the Senate, would extend priority
registration enrollment to former members of the Armed Services
who are within four years of leaving active duty. AB 669
(Fong), Chapter 251, Statutes of 2009, allows an exception to
the uniform residency requirements for foster youth. AB 1393
(Skinner), Chapter 391, Statutes of 2009, requires public
colleges and universities to give priority to foster youth for
year-round housing. AB 272 (Runner), Chapter 356, Statutes of
2007, granted priority enrollment to current and former members
of the Armed Forces, as specified.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
ACE Scholars Services, California State University, San Marcos
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
Aspiranet
California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office
Career Ladders Project
Community College League of California
County Welfare Directors Association of California
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John Burton Foundation for Children Without Homes
Public Counsel Law Center
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Sandra Fried / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960