BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION Alan Lowenthal, Chair 2011-2012 Regular Session BILL NO: AB 2133 AUTHOR: Blumenfield AMENDED: June 19, 2012 FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 27, 2012 URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Daniel Alvarez SUBJECT : Veterans: priority registration. SUMMARY This bill extends the period of time, from 4 years to 15 years, that a former member of the Armed Forces of the United States, as defined, can receive priority registration enrollment at the California State University (CSU) and the California Community Colleges (CCC). The bill requests that the University of California comply with priority enrollment as specified in this measure. BACKGROUND Current law: Requires CSU and CCC, and requests UC, to grant priority registration for enrollment to a member or former member of the Armed Forces, as defined, who is a resident of California and who has received an honorable discharge, a general discharge, or an other than honorable discharge for any academic term within four years of leaving state or federal active duty, provided the campus administers priority enrollment. (Education Code § 66025.8) Requires that the community colleges make available a variety of "matriculation services" to students in order to ensure that students receive educational services necessary to optimize their opportunities for success. Matriculation requirements are only operative if funds are specifically appropriated for these purposes. (EC § 78210-78219) ANALYSIS This bill extends the period of time, from 4 years to 15 AB 2133 Page 2 years, that a former member of the Armed Forces of the United States, as defined, can receive priority registration enrollment at the California State University (CSU) and the California Community Colleges (CCC). The bill requests that the University of California comply with priority enrollment as specified in this measure. In addition, this bill: 1) Requires veterans who are students at the CCC, in order to receive priority for registration, to meet existing matriculation requirements, i.e. declaring a specific educational objective within a reasonable period of time. 2) Requires that priority registration provided pursuant to this measure shall apply to enrollment for all degree and certificate programs offered by the institution after the military or veteran status of the student has been verified by the institution he or she attends. STAFF COMMENTS 1) Need for the bill. According to the author, there is limited flexibility to veterans who need additional time given the rigidity of the current four-year timeline for preferred enrollment which begins at the date of honorable discharge. This is a problem because today's young veterans disproportionately face challenges that can delay their pursuit of higher education due to injuries, trauma, and life circumstances. In addition, there is no conformity with the 15-year timeline veterans can draw down federal education benefits paid under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. 2) Length of time to access and maximum time limit for benefits . According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, the Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefit program generally pays a total of 36 months of benefits for up to 15 years following active duty. This is generally the high-end of time to receive and activate earned benefits. AB 2133 Page 3 3) Value of priority registration enrollment . Priority registration enrollment decisions are made at the campus level at each 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. In general, the systems provide priority enrollment for students with disabilities, participants in Educational Opportunity Program Students, and continuing students nearing their education goals. 4) Further complicating matters, perpetual Budget shortfalls. The 2011 Budget proposes funding reductions 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. 5) Compelling argument can be made that a veteran student may need some time, perhaps even years, before deciding to use their GI bill educational benefits and go to college and that state statute should somehow recognize this. However, staff could not find any information on the "average" time that a veteran may access their benefits. The GI Educational benefit programs recognize that a veteran's pursuit of higher AB 2133 Page 4 education can be delayed due to injuries, trauma, and life circumstances and therefore give a longer period of time in which the veteran may use his or her benefit. This measure would provide a veteran 15 years of continuous priority registration enrollment once discharged from military service, well in excess of the 36 months (3 years) of educational benefits the federal government provides that can be used over a 15 year period of time after discharge. Last year, this committee acknowledged the necessity of providing additional time for veterans to access priority registration by extending the period for such a benefit from 2 years to 4 years. Staff, therefore, recommends amendments that provide veterans four years of priority registration enrollment, but authorizes the use of the priority registration enrollment within a 15-year window starting from the time of discharge. 6) Measure is keyed with a possible mandate . Legislative Counsel has determined by requiring community college districts to provide priority registration for enrollment for additional years, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 7) Related legislation . AB 2462 (Block) requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges (CCC) to implement a process for awarding credit for prior military academic experience that meets the pertinent standards of the American Council on Education (ACE), as specified. AB 2478 (Hayashi) extends resident classification for two years to California Community College students who were stationed in California on active duty for more than one year immediately prior to being discharged. This bill will be heard in this committee on June 27, 2012. Chapter 375, Statutes of 2011 (SB 813, Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs), extended priority AB 2133 Page 5 enrollment for veterans from two to four years. Chapter 356, Statutes of 2007 (SB 272, Runner), established priority registration for two years for members of the military. SUPPORT California Community Colleges, Chancellor's Office Coast Community College District Community College League of California National Association of Social Workers - California Chapter North Orange County Community College District Orange County Community Colleges Legislative Task Force Rancho Santiago Community College District South Orange County Community College OPPOSITION None on file.