AB 1366, as amended, Lopez. Public postsecondary education: Dream Resource Centers.
Existing law establishes the segments of the public postsecondary education system in the state, including the University of California administered by the Regents of the University of California, the California State University administered by the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.
Existing law provides that a student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, who has attended high school in California for 3 or more years, who has graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent thereof, who has registered at or attends an accredited institution of higher education in California not earlier than the fall semester or quarter of the 2001-02 academic year, and who, if he or she is an alien without lawful immigration status, has filed an affidavit, as specified, is exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges and the California State University.
This bill would, commencing with the 2017-18 academic year, require the California Community Colleges and the California State University, and would request the University of California, to create Dream Resource Centers on their campuses, as specified, to assist certain students by streamlining access to all available financial aid and academic opportunities for those students.begin insert The bill would authorize Dream Resource Centers to offer support services, including but not necessarily limited to, state and institutional financial aid assistance, academic counseling, peer support services, psychological counseling, referral services, and legal services.end insert The bill would require each campus of the California Community Colleges and the California State University that is not required to have a Dream Resource Center to ensure that it has a designated staff person who is knowledgeable in available financial aid, services, and academic opportunities for all students meeting specified requirements , including undocumented students. By requiring community colleges to create Dream Resource Centers, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would authorize the trustees, the board of governors, and the regents to seek and accept on behalf of the state any gift, bequest, devise, or donation whenever the gift and the terms and conditions thereof will aid in the creation and operation of Dream Resource Centers for their respective systems.
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:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
P3 1(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to increase enrollment and
2graduation rates among students meeting the requirements of
3Assembly Bill 540 of the 2001-02 Regular Session (Firebaugh,
4Ch. 814) by requiring the creation of Dream Resource Centers at
5public institutions of higher education.
6(b) It is estimated that each year approximately 65,000
7undocumented students graduate from high schools, and while
8California has been a leader in enacting innovative and bold laws
9to provide opportunities for undocumented youth to
attain higher
10education, only 20 percent of these students attend college. Many
11undocumented youth and their families are unaware of recent
12policy changes, such as the enactment of Assembly Bill 540 of the
132001-02 Regular Session, the California Dream Act of 2011, and
14the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), that
15make college graduation more attainable. Currently, the majority
16of college campuses do not have a centralized location that provides
17specialized support services and resources for students meeting
18the requirements of Assembly Bill 540 of the 2001-02 Regular
19Session.
20(c) The creation of Dream Resource Centers would save staff
21time and resources by streamlining all available financial aid and
22academic opportunities for students meeting the requirements of
23Assembly Bill 540 of the 2001-02 Regular Session. These
Dream
24Resource Centers would seek to empower and create a safe and
25welcoming environment for those students. These centers would
26increase enrollment, transfer, and graduation rates among this
27population.
28(d) A number of college campuses have acknowledged the needs
29and challenges of these students and have created Dream Resource
30Centers. These include: the University of California, Los Angeles;
31the University of California, Davis; the California State University,
32Los Angeles; the California State University, Fullerton; and the
33California State University, Northridge. These centers provide,
34among other things, informational workshops, legal clinics,
35information on programs available to undocumented immigrants,
36and peer mentoring and support services to increase awareness of
37existing programs and available resources, enhance professional
38
development, and increase employment opportunities.
Section 68130.6 is added to the Education Code, to
40read:
(a) Commencing with the 2017-18 academic year,
2the California Community Colleges and the California State
3University shall, and the University of California is requested to,
4create Dream Resource Centers on their campuses, as specified in
5subdivision (b), to assist students meeting the requirements set
6forth in Section 68130.5 by streamlining access to all available
7financial aid and academic opportunities for those students.
8(b) (1) (A) The California Community Colleges shall create
9Dream Resource Centers on any campus that has at least 500
10currently enrolled students meeting the requirements set forth in
11Section
68130.5.
12(B) Any campus of the California Community Colleges that has
13less than 500 currently enrolled students meeting the requirements
14set forth in Section 68130.5 shall ensure that it has a designated
15staff person who is knowledgeable in available financial aid,
16services, and academic opportunities for all students meeting the
17requirements set forth in Section 68130.5, including undocumented
18students. The Legislature encourages each of these campuses to
19place this designated staff person in the campus’ extended
20opportunities programs and services office or financial aid office.
21(2) (A) The California State University shall create Dream
22Resource Centers on any campus where any of its local feeder
23community colleges meets the requirement in subparagraph (A)
24of
paragraph (1).
25(B) Any campus of the California State University where none
26of its local feeder community colleges meet the requirement in
27subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) shall ensure that it has a
28designated staff person who is knowledgeable in available financial
29aid, services, and academic opportunities for all students meeting
30the requirements set forth in Section 68130.5, including
31undocumented students. The Legislature encourages each of these
32campuses to place this designated staff person in the campus’
33extended opportunities programs and services office or financial
34aid office.
35(3) The University of California is requested to create Dream
36Resource Centers on each of its campuses.
37(c) Dream Resource Centers may offer support services,
38including, but not necessarily limited to, state and institutional
39financial aid assistance, academic counseling, peer support
P5 1services, psychological counseling, referral services, and legal
2services.
3(c)
end delete
4begin insert(d)end insert (1) This section shall not be construed as requiring the
5construction of a new or separate space for Dream Resource
6Centers.
7(2) Dream Resource Centers may be housed within existing
8student service or
academic centers.
9(d)
end delete
10begin insert(e)end insert Notwithstanding Section 11005 of the Government Code
11and any other law requiring approval by a state officer of gifts,
12bequests, devises, or donations, the Trustees of the California State
13University, the Board of Governors of the California Community
14Colleges, and the Regents of the University of California may seek
15and accept on behalf of the state any gift, bequest, devise, or
16donation whenever the gift and the terms and conditions thereof
17will aid in the creation and operation of Dream Resource Centers
18for their respective
systems.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
20this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
21local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
22pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
234 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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