BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 2009
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|Author: |Lopez |
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|Version: |May 31, 2016 Hearing |
| |Date: June 22, 2016 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Olgalilia Ramirez |
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Student Advocates for Higher Education at San Jose State
University
University of California
V.O.I.C.E.S
OPPOSITION
None received.
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