BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-12 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 1103
AUTHOR: Wright
AMENDED: April 9, 2012
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: April 18, 2012
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill
SUBJECT : Postsecondary education: Cal Grant Program.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the California Student Aid Commission to
post annual reports submitted by institutions participating
in the Cal Grant program and other information useful to
students and parents.
BACKGROUND
Existing law establishes the Cal Grant program under the
administration of the California Student Aid Commission
(CSAC) and establishes eligibility requirements for students
attending qualifying institutions. (Education Code § 69430
et seq.)
Existing law requires, beginning in 2012, institutions
participating in the Cal Grant Program to submit to CSAC
annual enrollment, persistence, and graduation data for all
students, including Cal Grant recipients, and requires
institution to also provide job placement rate and salary and
wage information for occupational and career programs as
specified. (EC § 44932.2)
ANALYSIS
This bill requires the CSAC to provide on its Internet Web
site:
a) Annual report information submitted by
institutions participating in the Cal Grant
Program, and
b) Other information and links useful to
students and parents including but not limited to
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local occupational profiles available through the
Employment Development Department's Labor Market
Information Data Library.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill : According to the author, college is
a significant investment for students and their
families. While there are many Web sites that provide
information about college programs and costs, there are
few sites that easily enable students to compare
programs and schools to help them make informed choices
about their investment. Since the majority of college
students participate in some type of financial aid
program, and since each year approximately 250,000
students set up a Web Grant account where they can
access information about and manage their Cal Grants,
the CSAC Web site is a logical place to house
information that would enable students and parents to do
a side-by-side comparison of institutions or compare
similar programs at different institutions.
2) Annual reporting . Trailer Bill language in the 2011
Budget Act (SB 70, Chapter 7, Statutes of 2011) requires
the 430 institutions participating in the Cal Grant
Program to report enrollment, persistence, graduation,
job placement and wage data on an annual basis to the
Student Aid Commission beginning in 2012. This bill
would require the CSAC to make that information publicly
available on its Web site along with other information
and links that would be useful to students, such as
labor market information through the state's Employment
Development Department. The CSAC reports it expects to
start the regulatory process for the reporting
requirements this spring. Given that the first reports
may not be submitted until late 2012, it may make sense
to allow the first reporting cycle to be completed
before requiring the CSAC to post the information on its
Web site.
Information provided by the author's office suggests the
intent of the bill is to provide a searchable database
that would enable students and families seeking
information about college programs to compare
information across colleges. The bill however does not
so specify. Staff recommends the bill be amended to do
the following:
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a) Specify that in the year following the first
reports submitted pursuant to § 69433.2(a), the
commission shall provide the required information.
b) Specify that institutional information be
posted in a searchable database.
3) Fiscal impact . According to the CSAC, costs associated
with posting the required information, would be minor
and absorbable.
4) Prior legislation .
SB 70 (Committee on Budget & Fiscal Review, Chapter 7, 2011)
requires Cal Grant participating institutions to report
enrollment, persistence, graduation, job placement and
wage data to the Student Aid Commission.
SUPPORT
California Business Education Association
California Manufacturers and Technology Association
OPPOSITION
None received.