Amended in Assembly April 1, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 606


Introduced by Assembly Member Williams

February 20, 2013


An act to add and repeal Section 76072 of the Education Code, relating to student financial aid.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 606, as amended, Williams. Student financial aid: community colleges.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts, administered by governing boards, throughout the state, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction to students at the community college campuses maintained by the districts.

Existing law requires the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to develop a statement that individual students will be asked to sign, which acknowledges that federal and state funds are available to assist with the costs of college and that information regarding these programs, and assistance in applying for those funds, can be obtained at the financial aid office.

This bill would require the Office of the Chancellor, until January 1, 2017, to establish a voluntary pilot program, with specified requirements, to increase student participation in state and federal financial aid programsbegin insert and in the federal American Opportunity Tax Creditend insert. The bill would require the Office of the Chancellor to provide specified information on the pilot program to the Legislative Analyst’s Office by January 10, 2016, which the Legislative Analyst’s Office would be required to use to report to the Legislature on the results of the pilot program and to make recommendations for statewide expansion of the pilot program.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

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SECTION 1.  

Section 76072 is added to the Education Code, 2immediately following Section 76071, to read:

3

76072.  

(a) The Office of the Chancellor of the California
4Community Colleges shall establish a voluntary pilot program to
5increase student participation in state and federal financial aid
6programs. The chancellor shall select no more than 10 community
7college campuses to participate in the pilot program from campuses
8that volunteer to participate in the program. In selecting campuses
9for the pilot program, the chancellor, to the extent possible, shall
10ensure geographic, economic, and demographic diversity.

11(b) The pilot program shall identify both of the following target
12populations to participate in the pilot program:

13(1) Students potentially eligible for financial aid who complete
14an application for a fee waiver provided pursuant to Section 76300,
15but who do not complete a Free Application for Federal Student
16Aid (FAFSA).

17(2) Students potentially eligible for financial aid who do not
18receive any campus, state, or federal financial aid.

19(c) The goal of the pilot program shall be to increase student
20participation in both state and federal financial aid programs by
21performing actions including, but not necessarily limited to,begin delete bothend delete
22begin insert all end insert of the following:

23(1) Identifying strategies and best practices for increasing the
24number of students who submit the FAFSA.

25(2) Examining and developing strategies for increasing student
26participation in state and federal financial aid programs beyond
27the waiver of fees pursuant to Section 76300.

begin insert

28(3) Identifying the extent to which students claim the federal
29American Opportunity Tax Credit (26 U.S.C. Sec. 25A (i)) and
P3    1developing strategies for increasing the number of students who
2claim the credit.

end insert

3(d) The Office of the Chancellor of the California Community
4Colleges is encouraged to pursue both private and federal funding
5to support implementation and operation of the pilot program.

6(e) Once a pilot program has been established pursuant to
7subdivision (a), the Office of the Chancellor shall provide the
8following information to the Legislative Analyst’s Office on or
9before January 10, 2016:

10(1) Strategies and techniques that the participating community
11college campuses employed in administering the pilot program.

12(2) Data on student participation in state and federal financial
13aid programsbegin insert, and to the extent possible, the American Opportunity
14Tax Credit ( 26 U.S.C. Sec. 25A (i))end insert
.

15(f) Based on the information received pursuant to subdivision
16(e), the Legislative Analyst’s Office shall report to the Legislature
17on the results of the pilot program and make recommendations for
18statewide expansion of the pilot program. The report shall include
19all of the following:

20(1) A statistical analysis of financial aid applications and awards
21before and after implementation of the pilot program.

22(2) A summary of the major strategies and techniques employed
23by the participating community college campuses in administering
24the pilot program.

25(g) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2017,
26and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
27is enacted before January 1, 2017, deletes or extends that date.



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