BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 801 (Bloom) - Postsecondary education: Success for Homeless Youth in Higher Education Act ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: June 1, 2015 |Policy Vote: ED. 7 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: Yes | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: August 17, 2015 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: This bill, among other things: (1) requires the extension of priority enrollment to homeless youth or former homeless youth at the California Community Colleges (CCC) and the California State University (CSU) and requests that the University of California (UC) make this same extension; (2) requires designation of a Homeless and Foster Student Liaison, as specified; (3) requires the waiver of per unit fees for this population at the community colleges; (4) establishes residency status for this population, as specified; and (5) includes these students in the California Student Aid Commission's (CSAC) training and outreach programs. Fiscal Impact: The CCC anticipates one-time costs of $11.3 million and ongoing costs of up to about $8.3 million. Activities include: modifications to electronic systems to make changes AB 801 (Bloom) Page 1 of ? in financial aid calculations and modifications to residency verification processes. These costs may be determined to be reimbursable as a state mandate. (Proposition 98) The CSU indicates the need redirect staff to fulfill the liaison requirement which would likely equate to a part-time position for each campus, resulting in statewide costs between $782,000 and $1.2 million. (General Fund) The CSAC indicates costs to incorporate homeless youth into training and outreach programs to be absorbable. However, if this population is larger than anticipated, there could be a need for additional staffing resources. The UC anticipates no additional costs to implement this bill. Background: Federal law defines the term "homeless children and youth" to mean individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, as specified. (42 United States Code § 11301, et seq.) Federal law defines "homeless youth", under Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to mean a person who is 24 years of age or younger and who has been determined to be homeless at any time during the current calendar year; and, defines "former homeless youth" to mean a person who is 24 years of age or younger, and who, while not currently homeless, has been determined to be homeless, at any time in the immediately preceding six calendar years by various entities, as specified. State law also requires a community college governing board to charge each student a $46 per unit fee per semester. Existing law makes this fee requirement not apply to noncredit courses and specified student groups, and authorizes the governing board to exempt certain student groups from this fee. (EC § 76300) Proposed Law: This bill requires the CSU and each community college district, and requests the UC, to afford current and former homeless youth certain enrollment and financial assistance and guidance benefits for postsecondary education. This bill's requirements become inoperable on January 1, 2020. AB 801 (Bloom) Page 2 of ? Specifically, this bill requires, and requests the UC, to grant enrollment priority registration to a homeless or former homeless youth for campuses that administers a priority enrollment system. Current law provides this benefit to foster youth. Postsecondary educational institutions that qualify for Cal Grants are required to do the following: Designate a staff member to serve as the Homeless and Foster Student Liaison. The liaison is required to understand federal law relating to financial aid eligibility of current and former foster and homeless youth; identify available and appropriate services for these students; and assist them in applying for and receiving federal and state financial aid and available services. Inform current and prospective students about student financial aid and other assistance available to current and former homeless and foster youth, including their eligibility as independent students, pursuant to federal law. This bill also: Requires a student to be entitled to resident classification if the student has been determined to be homeless at any time during the two years immediately preceding the residency classification determination if the student currently lives in California and is 19 years old or under at the time of enrollment. Expands training requirements for high school and community college counselors and advisors under the Community College Student Financial Aid Outreach Program to include training to address the needs of homeless and former homeless youth. Adds homeless youth and former homeless youth to the student AB 801 (Bloom) Page 3 of ? groups that may be served under the CSAC's Student Opportunity and Access Program which apportions funds for projects designed to expand access to postsecondary educational opportunities for certain disadvantaged students. Expands the list of students whose fees are required to be waived by a community college governing board to include a current or former homeless youth. Staff Comments: Most homeless students are likely to be exempt from community colleges fees through established income standards. Therefore any associated costs are anticipated to be minor. Substantial costs identified by the CCC appear to be driven by the definition of former homeless youth which applies to those who had been identified as homeless in the preceding six years. This definition conflicts with their eligibility as independent students for financial aid purposes. For the 2015-16 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), independent status was allowed for homeless individuals at any time on or after July 1, 2014 (one year). As an independent student, students report their own information on the FAFSA, whereas dependent students report their parent's information. This conflict would likely require colleges to process state aid using a different standard than that used by the federal government for financial aid purposes and modify their electronic records processing systems to calculate state aid. There are also costs attributed to changing the fee waiver processing system, which is largely automated by student FAFSA filing, but this work would likely be incorporated with other electronic system changes. -- END -- AB 801 (Bloom) Page 4 of ?