BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 649
Page 1
Date of Hearing: March 29, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Marty Block, Chair
AB 649 (Harkey) - As Introduced: February 16, 2011
SUBJECT : Public postsecondary education: veteran's enrollment.
SUMMARY : Requires the California State University (CSU) to
give priority admission to any member or former member of the
United States Armed Forces within five years of leaving active
duty, and extends from two years to five years the time a former
member of the Armed Forces can receive priority registration
enrollment at CSU and the California Community Colleges (CCC)
upon leaving active duty. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires CSU campuses give priority admission to any member or
former member of the United States Armed Forces within five
years of leaving active duty, if the campus administers a
priority enrollment system.
2)Extends from two years to five years the time a former member
of the Armed Forces can receive priority registration
enrollment for classes at CSU campuses and CCC campuses upon
leaving active duty, if the campus administers a priority
enrollment system.
3)Request the University of California (UC) comply with these
provisions.
4)Requires reimbursement to CCC districts if the Commission on
State Mandates determines that this act contains costs
mandated by the state (pursuant to Part 7 of Division 4 of
Title 2 of the Government Code).
EXISTING LAW declares legislative intent regarding the
categories of priorities for purposes of enrollment planning
and admission at UC and CSU (described below) with one
exception: CSU must admit with junior status any CCC student
meeting the associate degree for transfer requirements, who will
receive priority over other CCC transfers ŬEducation Code §
66747 established by SB 1440 (Padilla), Chapter 428, Statutes of
2010].
1)Declares the Legislature's intent regarding the categories of
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priority for purposes of undergraduate resident student
enrollment planning and admission at UC and CSU, in the
following order (Education Code § 66201):
a) Continuing undergraduate students in good standing.
b) CCC students who have successfully completed a course of
study in an approved transfer agreement program.
c) Other CCC students who have met all requirements for
transfer.
d) Other qualified transfer students.
e) California residents entering at the freshman or
sophomore levels.
2)Declares the Legislature's intent that within each of the
preceding categories, priority consideration for admission be
granted in the following order:
a) California residents who are recently released veterans
of the Armed Forces, with priority within this group to be
given to veterans who were enrolled in good standing prior
to military service.
b) CCC transfers, giving preference to students from
historically underrepresented or economically disadvantaged
families to the fullest extent possible in transfer
admissions decisions.
c) Previously enrolled applicants provided they left the
campus in good standing.
d) Applicants for a degree or credential objective not
generally offered at other public higher education
institutions in California.
e) Applicants for whom the distance to attend another
institution would create financial or other hardship.
3)Requires UC and CSU maintain a student body comprised of 60%
upper division and 40% lower division students and declares
the Legislature's intent that this goal be reached and
maintained by instituting programs and policies that increase
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the number of transfer students, rather than by denying places
to eligible freshmen applicants. (Education Code § 66201.5)
4)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 ŬEducation Code § 66025.8, established by SB 272
(Runner), Chapter 356, Statutes of 2007].
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Background . The Governor's 2011-12 Budget proposes
funding reduction of $500 million to both UC and CSU. Both
systems are over-enrolled (they serve more students than the
State funds them to educate) and may need to reduce the number
of students they admit in order to absorb the reductions in
their State budgets. The Governor's budget proposes a $400
million budget reduction to CCC, which translates into fewer
course offerings since CCC has no admission requirements. Thus,
admission to UC and CSU will become increasingly competitive as
they reduce their enrollments, and competition for class
offerings at CSU and CCC, in particular, will continue to
increase as fewer courses are offered as a result of budget
cuts.
Current veterans admission priority . Existing law expresses
legislative intent expressed that UC and CSU give priority to
continuing undergraduate students already enrolled, followed by
CCC transfer students meeting transfer requirements, and
California residents entering at freshman or sophomore levels.
Within these groups, veterans who are California residents
receive priority for admission. UC had approximately 705
veteran applicants in the fall of 2009 and 967 in the fall of
2010. CSU also gives priority to all local CSU-eligible
first-time freshmen and local upper-division transfer students
as is the usual established admissions policy, unless the campus
declares itself impacted. How would this priority affect other
students with admission priority? Will they displace continuing
students, transfer student, and local students?
Existing admissions priority for veterans would be expanded to
residents of other states . Existing law expresses legislative
intent that admission priority be granted to California
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residents who are recently released veterans of the Armed
Forces, with priority within this group to be given to veterans
who were enrolled in good standing prior to military service.
This bill would appear to expand the existing priority to
students who are not California residents, potentially
displacing Californians who are duly qualified and whose taxes
have supported the UC and CSU systems.
Who is deserving of priority admission ? By singling out one
group for a statutorily guaranteed admission priority, this bill
creates a precedent for granting priority to students other than
narrowly defined transfer students. Why not extend this benefit
to other potentially deserving students, such as foster youth,
students from underserved communities, or those who serve in the
Peace Corps?
Suggested amendments . Since veterans who are California
residents already receive priority within specified categories,
this bill would establish an unnecessary precedent and raises
several policy concerns, as detailed above. Staff recommends
removing priority admission from this bill and clarifying that
existing priority registration for enrollment apply only to
California residents who are current or former members of the
Armed Forces.
Priority registration enrollment expansion . This bill extends
from two years to five years the time a former member of the
Armed Forces can receive priority registration enrollment for
classes at CSU campuses and CCC campuses upon leaving active
duty, if the campus administers a priority enrollment system.
The author argues, "Two years has proved to be limiting. Most
veterans need to take the proper time to transition back to
civilian life as well as to reevaluate their long term goals.
In this respect SB 272 has been ineffective in fulfilling its
goal of assisting veterans in the collegiate pursuits." SB 813
(Senate Veterans Affairs Committee), pending in the Senate,
would expand the priority registration from two to four years.
The federal Post 9/11 GI Bill, which provides educational
assistance to individuals who served on active duty on or after
September 11, 2001, can be accessed for up to 10 years upon
leaving active duty.
Related legislation : AB 372 (Hernández), pending in this
Committee, would require CSU and CCC to grant academic credit
for military training received by any member or former member of
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the Armed Forces.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Community College League of California
California Student Veterans Coalition
Desiree A. Campos Marquez, Veterans Services and Scholarships
Coordinator, Mt. San Antonio College
Tod Burnett, President, Saddleback College
Tom Choe, Veterans Coordinator, Orange Coast College
Veterans Program Director Consortium, Region 8
Opposition
California State University
Analysis Prepared by : Sandra Fried / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960