BILL NUMBER: AB 1364	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 24, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 25, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 2, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Ting

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2013

   An act to amend Section 69435 of the Education Code, relating to
student financial aid.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1364, as amended, Ting. Student financial aid: Cal Grant
Program.
   Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant
Program, establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards, the
California Community College Transfer Cal Grant Entitlement awards,
the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C awards, and
the Cal Grant T awards under the administration of the Student Aid
Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements and maximum
levels for awards under these programs for participating students
attending qualifying institutions. Existing law requires that a Cal
Grant B award for access costs, as defined, is not to exceed $1,551
annually. Existing law provides that this amount may be adjusted in
the annual Budget Act.
   This bill, commencing with the 2014-15 academic year, would
require that the Cal Grant B access award be no less than 
$5,900   $1,710  , unless that amount exceeds the
amount of the student's calculated financial need, as specified. The
bill would require the award for access costs to include the
percentage increase, if any, in the California Consumer Price Index
 for All Urban Consumers  , as specified. In the event of a
decrease in the California Consumer Price  Index, no
adjustment would be made to the minimum Cal Grant B access award
under this bill  Index for All Urban Consumers from the
prior academic year, the award amount would remain at its most recent
level, as specified  . The bill would delete the provision
authorizing the adjustment of this amount in the annual Budget Act.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 69435 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   69435.  (a) (1) A Cal Grant B award shall be used only for
tuition, student fees, and access costs in a for-credit instructional
program that is not less than one academic year in length.
   (2) The commission, or a qualifying institution pursuant to
Article 8 (commencing with Section 69450), shall award access grants
in a student's first academic year. In subsequent years, the award
shall include an additional amount to pay tuition or fees, or both,
to attend college at a public or private four-year college or
university or other qualifying institution for all Cal Grant B awards
pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 66021.2. In
no event shall the total award in any year exceed the applicant's
calculated financial need.
   (3) Not more than 2 percent of new Cal Grant B recipients
enrolling for the first time in an institution of postsecondary
education shall be eligible for payments for tuition or fees, or
both, in their first academic year of attendance. The commission
shall adopt regulations specifying the criteria used to determine
which applicants, if any, receive both tuition and fees plus the
access grant in the first year of enrollment. Priority shall be given
to students with the lowest expected family contribution pursuant to
Section 69432.7 and the highest level of academic merit.
   (b) Commencing with the 2014-15 academic year:
   (1) An award for access costs under this article shall be in an
annual amount no less than  five thousand nine hundred
dollars ($5,900)   one thousand seven hundred ten
dollars ($1,710)  , unless the award would exceed the amount of
the student's calculated financial need, in which case the award
amount shall equal the amount of the student's calculated financial
need.
   (2) The award for access costs shall include the percentage
increase, if any, in the California Consumer Price Index  for
  All Urban Consumers  as calculated  and certified
by the commission from data reported  by the Department of
Industrial Relations.  No later than January 15, 2014, for the
2014-15 academic year, no later than September 1, 2014, for the
2015-16 academic year, and no later than September 1 of the year
prior to each academic year thereafter, the commission shall
calculate and certify the percentage change using the data from the
two most recent June indices.  In the event that the California
Consumer Price Index  decreases in any year, no adjustment to
the minimum award amount will be made pursuant to this subdivision
  for All Urban Consumers decreases from the prior
academic year, the award amount shall remain at its most recently
certified level  .