BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 490
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Date of Hearing: May 13, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
490 (Alejo) - As Amended March 26, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill appropriates, for 2015-2016, $32 million for the
California Community Colleges (CCC's) Extended Opportunity
Programs and Services (EOPS) and $8 million for administration
of the CCC's Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education
AB 490
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(CARE).
FISCAL EFFECT:
One-time $40 million appropriation. [GF- Prop 98]. The bill does
not specify a fund source, but the General Fund, pursuant to
Prop 98 is the state's source of funding for the CCC.
COMMENTS:
1)EOPS, established in 1969, provides academic and financial
support to community college students whose educational and
socioeconomic backgrounds may deter them from successfully
attending college and completing their educational goals.
Services are specifically designed to offer educational
support geared toward a participating students' specific
needs. In 2013-2014, 78,978 CCC students benefited from EOPS.
2)CARE was established in the early 1980s as a unique
educational program geared toward the welfare recipient who
desires job-relevant education to break the dependency cycle.
In addition to the core supportive services provided by the
EOPS program, CARE students may be awarded supplemental
grants, services and allowances to pay for
educationally-related expenses (such as child care,
transportation, textbooks and supplies) not offered by other
resources to strengthen their retention, persistence,
graduation and transfer rates. In 2013-14, 6,169 CCC students
benefited from CARE.
AB 490
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The last two Budget Acts have provided $79.3 million for EOPS
and $9.3 million for CARE, respectively, and the Governor has
proposed these same amount for 2015-16.
3)Purpose. According to the author, this bill seeks to restore
funding to EOPS and CARE programs, which serve low income and
historically disadvantaged students attending CCCs. The
author contends that AB 490 will help close the achievement
gap by allowing more students access to these services and
receive the necessary additional tools they need in order to
succeed and reach their educational goals.
4)Comment. Notwithstanding the merit this proposal to increase
funding for EOPS and CARE, this is ultimately a budget
decision, to be weighed against other community college
funding priorities.
Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)
319-2081