Amended in Assembly April 10, 2014

Amended in Assembly April 1, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2160

Introduced by Assembly Member Ting

(Principal coauthor: Senator Hill)

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano, Brown, begin insert Campos, end insert Chávez, begin insert Gonzalez, end insert and Maienschein)

(Coauthors: Senators begin insert Cannella, end insert Evans begin insert , end insert and Padilla)

February 20, 2014

An act to amend Section 69432.9 of the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2160, as amended, Ting. Cal Grant Program: grade point average.

The 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 for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions.

A provision of the program specifies that the commission shall require that a grade point average be submitted, as specified, to the commission for Cal Grant A and B applicants, except for those applicants permitted to provide test scores in lieu of a grade point average.

This bill would require that this grade point average be submitted electronically for all high school seniors at public schools begin insert each academic year, all high school graduates at public schools from the prior academic year, end insert and all other Cal Grant A and B applicants, begin insert except those permitted to provide test scores in lieu of a grade point average, end insert and provide that grade point averages submitted shall be subject to review by the commission or its designee. To the extent that this provision would impose new duties on local educational agencies and community college districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

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

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

SECTION 1.  

Section 69432.9 of the Education Code is
amended to read:

69432.9.  

(a) A Cal Grant applicant shall submit a complete
official financial aid application pursuant to Section 69433 and
applicable regulations adopted by the commission.

(b) Financial need shall be determined to establish an applicant’s
initial eligibility for a Cal Grant award and a renewing recipient’s
continued eligibility using the federal financial need methodology
pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 69506 and applicable
regulations adopted by the commission, and as established by Title
IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20
U.S.C. Secs. 1070 et seq.).

(1) “Expected family contribution,” with respect to an applicant
or renewing recipient shall be determined using the federal
methodology pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 69506 (as
established by Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of
1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Secs. 1070 et seq.)) and applicable
rules and regulations adopted by the commission.

(2) “Financial need” means the difference between the student’s
cost of attendance as determined by the commission and the
expected family contribution. The calculation of financial need
shall be consistent with Title IV of the federal Higher Education
Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Secs. 1070 et seq.).

(3) (A) The minimum financial need required for receipt of an
initial and renewal Cal Grant A or begin delete Cal Grant end delete C award shall be no
less than the maximum annual award value for the applicable
institution, plus an additional one thousand five hundred dollars
($1,500) of financial need.

(B) The minimum financial need required for receipt of an initial
and renewal Cal Grant B award shall be no less than seven hundred
dollars ($700).

(c) The commission shall require that a grade point average be
submitted for all high school seniors at public schools begin insert each
academic year, all high school graduates at public schools from
the prior academic year, end insert and all other Cal Grant A and B
applicants begin insert , except those permitted to provide test scores in lieu of
a grade point average end insert . The commission shall require that each
report of a grade point average be submitted electronically by a
school or school district official, with a certification, under penalty
of perjury, that the grade point average reported is accurately
reported. A submitted grade point average shall be subject to
review by the commission or its designee. The commission shall
adopt regulations that establish a grace period for receipt of the
grade point average and any appropriate corrections, and that set
forth the circumstances under which a student may submit a
specified test score designated by the commission, by regulation,
in lieu of submitting a qualifying grade point average. It is the
intent of the Legislature that high schools and institutions of higher
education electronically submit the grade point averages of their
students in time to meet the application deadlines imposed by this
chapter.

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert begin insert

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

end insert