BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION Senator Carol Liu, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Bill No: AB 2009 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Author: |Lopez | |-----------+-----------------------------------------------------| |Version: |May 31, 2016 Hearing | | |Date: June 22, 2016 | ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes | ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Consultant:|Olgalilia Ramirez | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Student support services: Dream Resource Liaisons SUMMARY This bill requires the California Community Colleges (CCC) and the California State University (CSU) and requests the University of California (UC) to designate a Dream Resource Liaison at each of their respective campuses and authorizes the governing boards of the segments to accept private funds to establish and operate a Dream Resource center. BACKGROUND Existing law: 1) Provides that a student who attended high school in California for three (or equivalency) or more years, graduated (or equivalency) from a California high school, enrolled at an accredited institution of higher education in California not earlier than the fall semester or quarter of 2001-02, and files an affidavit with the institution of higher education stating that the student has filed an application to legalize his or her immigration status or will file an application, eligible for lower resident fee/tuition payments at the CCC, CSU, and UC. These students are often referred to as "AB 540 students". (Education Code § 68130.5) AB 2009 (Lopez) Page 2 of ? 2) 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 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. (EC § 69508.5) 3) Provides that a student attending the CSU, the CCC, or the UC who is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under the provisions of AB 540 is eligible to receive a scholarship derived from non-state funds received, for the purpose of scholarships by the segment at which he or she is a student. (EC § 66021.7) 4) Requires the Trustees of the California State University (CSU) and the Board of Governors of the California Community College (CCC), and requests the University of California (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) 5) 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 AB 2009 (Lopez) Page 3 of ? Budget for the program. (EC § 70030-70039) ANALYSIS This bill: 1) Requires the CCC and the CSU and request the UC to designate a Dream Resource Liaison on of their respective campuses to assist students meeting the requirements of AB 540 (Firebaugh, Chapter 814, Statutes of 2001) who is knowledgeable in available financial aid, services, and academic opportunities for all students including undocumented students. 2) Encourages the CCC to place the Dream Resource Liaison in the campus' extended opportunity programs and services office or financial aid office and the CSU and UC to place the Liaison in the campus' educational opportunity programs office or financial aid office. 3) Encourages the CCC, CSU and UC to establish Dream Resource centers that; a) May offer support services, including, financial aid assistance, academic counseling, peer support services, psychological counseling, referral services and legal services. b) May be housed within existing student services or academic centers and, the space in which a Dream Resource Liaison is located may be deemed a Dream Resource Center. 1) Prohibits anything in the bill's provisions from being construed to encourage the construction of new or separate space for Dream Resource Centers. 2) Authorizes the governing boards of each segment to accept private funds to establish and operate centers. 3) Makes various findings and declarations relative to California's leadership in enacting bold laws to provide opportunities for undocumented youth, the need to make families and youth more aware of recent policy changes and AB 2009 (Lopez) Page 4 of ? the number of campuses that have acknowledged challenges of these students by creating Dream Resource Centers. 4) Establishes if the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, the state will reimburse applicable entities. 5) Sunsets the bill's provisions on July 1, 2022. STAFF COMMENTS 1) Need for the bill. According to the author, "since the passage of AB 540, California Dream Act, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and other pieces of meaningful legislation, college affordability has become more attainable for undocumented students in California. However, undocumented still face many obstacles and adverse barriers due to their unique situation." In 2009, the University of California, Los Angeles created the first resource center to serve undocumented students in the state followed by the University of California, Berkeley opening the Robert D. Haas Dream Resource Center in Fall of 2012. Both centers were established after research was conducted from their respective campuses that supported improving campus climates for undocumented students. A study conducted by the Undocuscholar Project at the University of California, Los Angeles found that the lack of knowledge at campuses regarding policies and services available for undocumented students and there is a need with in the higher education community for informed admissions and outreach, financial aid, transition programs, student support services, retention programs, and efforts to assist students with pursuing graduate school or careers. This bill seeks to ensure that AB 540 students attending California public postsecondary institutions are not unintentionally misguided and have adequate support to achieve educational goals. 2) Existing services offered at campuses. Support for AB 540 students on each campus varies and services can range from having a designated center that is independent or share a space and/or having a point of contact. As part of the President's Initiative on Undocumented Students, each AB 2009 (Lopez) Page 5 of ? University of California campus has a designated physical space where respective designated contacts for undocumented students are housed. Among the 23 California State University campuses, some have a designated space on campus but most provide information through existing student support programs. For the most part community colleges do not have space or staff specifically dedicated to offering services to AB 540 students. Some campuses may focus on this student population as a component the Student Equity Plan. These plans are developed by each California Community College campus in effort to close achievement gaps in access and success for underrepresented student groups. This bill provides a uniform standard for serving this student population by requiring that each public postsecondary institution designate a Dream Resource Liaison to assist students meeting the requirements of AB 540. This person needs to be knowledgeable in available financial aid, services, and academic opportunities for all students including undocumented students thereby establishing a uniform standard for services available to those students. 3) Related legislation. AB 1366 (Lopez, 2015) nearly identical to this bill, encourages schools that maintain grades 9 through 12, the California Community Colleges and the California State University and the University of California to designate a Dream Resource Liaison on each of their campuses. AB 1366 is in the inactive file on the Senate Floor and was approved by this Committee 8-1. SUPPORT California Dream Network California Faculty Association California Immigrant Policy Center California Labor Federation California State Student Association Channel Islands Dreamers Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) Espírtu de Nuestro Futuro L.E.A.D Sacramento State MALDEF AB 2009 (Lopez) Page 6 of ? Student Advocates for Higher Education at San Jose State University University of California V.O.I.C.E.S OPPOSITION None received. -- END --