BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 1366
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|Author: |Lopez |
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|Version: |July 8, 2015 Hearing |
| |Date: July 15, 2015 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Olgalilia Ramirez |
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Subject: Public postsecondary education: Dream Resource
Centers
SUMMARY
This bill requires the California Community Colleges (CCC) and
the California State University (CSU) and requests the
University of California (UC) to establish Dream Resource
Centers on their campuses, as specified to assist students
meeting the requirements set forth in Section 68130.5 and
authorizes the governing boards of the segments to accept
private funds to establish and operate centers.
BACKGROUND
Existing law provides that, beginning January 1, 2013, AB 540
students are eligible to apply for, and participate in, any
student financial aid program administered by the State of
California to the full extent permitted by federal law. The
California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) is required to
establish procedures and forms that enable AB 540 students to
apply for, and participate in, all student financial aid
programs administered by the State of California to the full
extent permitted by federal law. Current law prohibits AB 540
students from being eligible for Competitive Cal Grant A and B
Awards unless specified conditions are met. (Education Code §
69508.5)
Existing law provides that a student attending the CSU, the CCC,
or the UC who is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under
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the provisions of AB 540 is eligible to receive a scholarship
derived from nonstate funds received, for the purpose of
scholarships, by the segment at which he or she is a student.
(EC § 66021.7)
Existing law requires the Trustees of the CSU and the Board of
Governors of the CCC, and request the UC Regents, to establish
procedures and forms that enable AB 540 students to apply for,
and participate in, all student aid programs administered by
these segments to the full extent permitted by federal law. (EC
§ 66021.6)
Existing law establishes the California DREAM Loan Program
intended to provide low interest loans to Dream Act students who
are accessing the Cal Grant program and attending UC and CSU.
These students are not eligible for federal student loans,
making it difficult for some to cover the total costs of
college. The law requires the state and UC and CSU to split the
costs of launching the program. The state would need to provide
about $4.7 million General Fund to begin the program. In 2014,
the Governor signed SB 1210 (Lara), Chapter 754, but does not
provide funding in the 2015-16 budget for the program. (EC §
70030-70039)
ANALYSIS
This bill:
1)Requires, beginning 2017-18 the California Community Colleges
(CCC) and the California State University (CSU) and requests
the University of California (UC) to establish Dream Resource
Centers on their campuses, as specified to assist students
meeting the requirements set forth in Section 68130.5 of the
Education Code.
2)Requires CCC to:
a) Establish a Dream Resource Center on any campus that
has at least 500 currently enrolled students.
b) Ensure that CCCs with less than 500 students have a
designated staff person who is knowledgeable in services
and academic opportunities applicable to students who meet
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the specified requirements.
c) Encourage campuses to place the designated staff
person, described in b), in the campus' extended
opportunities programs and services office or financial
aid office.
3)Requires CSU to:
a) Establish Dream Resource Centers on any campus where
any of its local feeder community colleges meet the
requirement, as specified.
b) Ensure it has a designated staff person who is
knowledgeable in services and academic opportunities
applicable to students who meet the specified requirements
if a CSU campus that does not have a community college
feeder school meeting specified requirements.
c) Encourage campuses to place the designated staff
person, described in b), in the campus' extended
opportunities programs and services office or financial aid
office.
4)Specifies the following parameters for Dream Resource Centers:
a) May offer support services including, but not limited
to, state and institutional financial aid assistance,
academic counseling, peer support services, psychological
counseling, referral services, and legal services.
b) May be housed within existing student service or
academic centers.
c) Postsecondary institutions, as specified, are not
required to construct new or separate spaces for Dream
Resource Centers.
5)Authorizes the governing boards of the segments to accept private
funds to establish and operate centers.
6)Establishes if the Commission on State Mandates determines that
this act contains costs mandated by the state, the state will
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reimburse applicable entities.
STAFF COMMENTS
1)Need for the bill. According to the author, many undocumented
youth and their families are unaware of recent policy changes,
such as the enactment of AB 540 of 2001-2002 regular session,
the California Dream Act of 2011 and the federal deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), that make college
graduation more attainable. The author notes that the majority
of college campuses do not have a centralized location that
provides specialized support services and resources for
students meeting requirements of AB 540. Furthermore, there
are many unique barriers that this student population faces
due to their residency status and a trust space designated for
these students will encourage more youth to purse
postsecondary education to prepare them to enter the
California's workforce. This bill seeks to create a
centralized location for AB 540 students to access student
support services and other applicable resources.
2)What currently exists? Each University of California (UC) campus
designates a point of contact specifically for providing
information to undocumented students. All but three campuses
have physical space designates for this purpose. Among the
twenty-three campuses at the California State University
(CSU), the method of delivering information varies. Some
campuses have a designated location but most provide
information through existing student support programs.
Similarly, information and services offered at Community
Colleges changes from campus to campus. For the most part
Community Colleges do not have a centralized location
dedicated for AB 540 students. However, some campuses in
southern California are incorporating this group of students
into their respective Student Equity Plans. These plans are
developed in effort to close achievement gaps in access and
success in underrepresented student groups. The 2015-16 Budget
Act targeted funds for this purpose. It is unclear how many
campuses have prioritized AB 540 students in the college
Student Equity Plan or if they will establish a location
similar to a Dream Resource Center as described by the bill.
3)Feeder school? This bill would trigger a Dream Resource Center at
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a CSU campus if its local feeder community college has at
least 500 enrolled students. The term feeder school is not
defined in the bill and it is unclear which campus would meet
this criteria.
4)What would it look like? As drafted, the bill stipulates that a
campus with more than 500 enrolled students must establish a
center that may offer specified services and may share a space
within existing student services or academic centers. The
bill specifically provides that new or separate spaces do not
need to be constructed. Given these criteria, institutions
could simply post materials and information within an existing
center or office and be deemed to have complied with the
bill's provisions. In addition, while campuses with less than
500 enrolled AB 540 students would be required to identify a
designated staff person, no such requirement would exist for a
campus with more than 500 enrolled students.
Wouldn't AB 540 students be better served by ensuring access
to knowledgeable staff, rather than creating what might in
essence be a passive space?
Staff recommends the bill be amended to require California
Community College (CCC) and California State University (CSU)
campuses to ensure that it has a designated staff person to be
known as the Dream Resource Liaison, who is knowledgeable in
available financial aid services and academic opportunities
for AB 540 students. Staff further recommends that the space
in which the Dream Resource Liaison is located may be deemed a
Dream Resource Center.
Since these provisions would now apply to all community
college and CSU campuses, staff also recommends the bill be
amended to delete (b)(1)(A) and (b)(2)(A).
5)Related legislation. SB 247 (Lara, 2015) would have authorized
the governing board of a school district or county office of
education that maintain grades 9-12, the governing board of a
CCC district, and the trustees of the CSU and encourages the
Regents of the University of California (UC) to establish
on-campus Dream Centers for the purposes of providing
educational support services applicable to undocumented
students. SB 247 passed this Committee and subsequently
placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file.
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SUPPORT
California Dream Network
California Immigrant Policy Center
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
Espiritu de Nuestro Futuro at CSU, Dominguez Hills
Fullerton College Dream Team
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)
IDEAS at Mt. San Antonio College
Improving Dreams, Equity, Access and Success at San Francisco
State (I.D.E.A.S
SFSU)
Lead Empower Achieve with Determination at Sacramento State
University (LEAD)
RISE at Los Angeles Trade Tech
Rising Immigrant Scholars through Education (RISE) at Berkeley
Scholars Promoting Education Awareness and Knowledge (SPEAK)
Student Demand for Equality in Education at Cal Poly Pomona
Undocumented/AB 540 Educational Equity Task Force at San
Francisco State University
Voices Organizing Immigrant Communities for Educational Success
(VOICES)
OPPOSITION
None received.
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