BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 490 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 13, 2015 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Jimmy Gomez, Chair AB 490 (Alejo) - As Amended March 26, 2015 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Higher Education |Vote:|9 - 3 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Page 2 (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 Page 3 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