Amended in Senate August 2, 2016

Amended in Assembly May 31, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 17, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2822

Introduced by Assembly Member Chiu

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Medina, Santiago, Weber, and Williams)

February 19, 2016

An act to begin delete amend Section 78212 of end delete begin insert add Section 72670.7 to end insert the Education Code, relating to student financial aid.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2822, as amended, Chiu. Student financial aid: begin delete Student Success and Support Program: end delete begin insert community college auxiliary organizations: end insert emergency student financial assistance.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing begin delete law, known as the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, defines “matriculation” as a process that brings a college and a student who enrolls for credit into an agreement for the purpose of realizing the student’s educational objectives. The act specifies the matriculation services that community colleges are required to provide. end delete begin insert law authorizes the board of governors to establish auxiliary organizations, as defined, for the purpose of providing supportive services and specialized programs for the general benefit of the mission of the California Community Colleges. end insert

This bill would authorize the use of begin delete Student Success and Support Program end delete begin insert auxiliary organization end insert funds for the provision of emergency student financial assistance, as defined, to eligible students, as defined, to overcome unforeseen financial challenges, as specified, that would directly impact a student’s ability to persist in his or her course of begin delete study, if emergency student financial assistance is included in an institution’s plan for interventions to students. The bill would authorize no more than 3% of the total funding that a community college district or campus receives for the Student Success and Support Program to be used for the provision of emergency student financial assistance. end delete begin insert study. The bill would authorize auxiliary organizations to solicit and accept private funding, as specified, for the purposes of this bill. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

begin delete

(a) Given the need to improve community college student
outcomes, the Legislature required the California Community
Colleges to develop plans to improve student success through the
Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012 (Article 1
(commencing with Section 78210) of Chapter 2 of Part 48 of
Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code).

end delete begin delete

(b)

end delete

begin insert (a) end insert  Research indicates that students’ ability to pay for nontuition
costs plays a major role in determining the outcomes of their
academic careers and impacts student success. Unexpected
financial emergencies can play a major role when community
college students drop out of school.

begin delete

(c)

end delete

begin insert (b) end insert  Emergency aid is an effective strategy to retain students and
ultimately improve graduation rates and overall student success.
Emergency aid provides the flexibility needed to respond to a
student’s unexpected financial emergency that may arise during
the academic year. Emergency aid is a critical tool for student
retention and persistence that is most effective as a part of a broader
set of student success efforts.

begin delete

(d)

end delete

begin insert (c) end insert  It is in the interest of the state to reduce the attrition rates of
full-time students. Nationally, billions of dollars are lost when
full-time students do not return in what would be their second year
of college. California has lost more than one hundred million
dollars ($100,000,000) in state and federal funding due to first-year
attrition. Emergency aid is an efficient investment that addresses
student attrition while only providing small dollar grants when a
student is in crisis. With this type of well-timed aid, students are
more likely to complete the academic term and re-enroll for the
next term.

begin delete

(e)

end delete

begin insert (d) end insert  A well-educated citizenry provides tremendous benefits to
the state as higher educational attainment is connected with higher
earnings, which produce more tax revenue and lower the cost of
social services.

begin delete

SEC. 2.  

Section 78212 of the Education Code is amended to
read:

78212.  

(a) (1) For purposes of this article, “matriculation”
means a process that brings a college and a student into an
agreement for the purpose of achieving the student’s educational
goals and completing the student’s course of study. The agreement
involves the responsibilities of both parties to attain those
objectives through the college’s established programs, policies,
and requirements including those established by the board of
governors pursuant to Section 78215.

(2) The institution’s responsibility under the agreement includes
the provision of student services to provide a strong foundation
and support for their academic success and ability to achieve their
educational goals. The program of services funded through the
Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, which shall be
known and may be cited as the Student Success and Support
Program, shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, all of
the following:

(A) Orientation services designed to provide to students, on a
timely basis, information concerning campus procedures, academic
expectations, financial assistance, and any other matters the college
or district finds appropriate.

(B) Assessment before course registration, as defined in Section
78213.

(C) Counseling and other education planning services, which
shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following:

(i) Counseling and advising.

(ii) Assistance to students in the exploration of educational and
career interests and aptitudes and identification of educational
objectives, including, but not necessarily limited to, preparation
for transfer, associate degrees, and career technical education
certificates and licenses.

(iii) The provision of information, guided by sound counseling
principles and practices, using a broad array of delivery
mechanisms, including technology-based strategies to serve a
continuum of student needs and abilities, that will enable students
to make informed choices.

(iv) Development of an education plan leading to a course of
study and guidance on course selection that is informed by, and
related to, a student’s academic and career goals.

(D) Referral to specialized support services as needed and
available, including, but not necessarily limited to, federal, state,
and local financial assistance; health services; career services;
veteran support services; foster youth services; extended
opportunity programs and services provided pursuant to Article 8
(commencing with Section 69640) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of
Division 5; campus child care services provided pursuant to Article
6 (commencing with Section 66060) of Chapter 2 of Part 40 of
Division 5; programs that teach basic skills education and English
as a second language; and disabled student services provided
pursuant to Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 67300) of Part
40 of Division 5.

(E) Evaluation of each student’s progress and referral to
appropriate interventions for students who are enrolled in basic
skills courses, who have not declared an educational goal as
required, or who are on academic probation, as defined by
standards adopted by the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges and community college districts.

(3)  The student’s responsibilities under the agreement include,
but are not necessarily limited to, the identification of an academic
and career goal upon application, the declaration of a specific
course of study after a specified time period or unit accumulation,
as defined by the board of governors, diligence in class attendance
and completion of assigned coursework, and the completion of
courses and maintenance of academic progress toward an
educational goal and course of study identified in the student’s
education plan. To ensure that students are not unfairly impacted
by the requirements of this chapter, the board of governors shall
establish a reasonable implementation period that is phased in as
resources are available to provide nonexempt students with the
core services pursuant to this section.

(b) Funding for the Student Success and Support Program shall
be targeted to fully implement orientation, assessment, counseling
and advising, and other education planning services needed to
assist a student in making an informed decision about his or her
educational goal and course of study and in the development of
an education plan.

(c) (1) Funding for the Student Success and Support Program
may be used for provision of emergency student financial
assistance to help eligible students to overcome unforeseen
financial challenges that would directly impact the student’s ability
to persist in his or her course of study. These challenges include,
but are not necessarily limited to, the immediate need for shelter
or food. Each community college district and campus is encouraged
to consider the unique characteristics of its student body in
developing specific guidelines for further defining what constitutes
an unforeseen financial challenge for its students.

(2) In order for emergency student financial assistance to be an
allowable use of Student Success and Support Program funds,
emergency student financial assistance shall be included in the
institution’s plan for interventions to students.

(3) For purposes of this subdivision, the following terms are
defined as follows:

(A) “Eligible student” means a student who has experienced an
unforeseen financial challenge, who currently meets satisfactory
academic progress of the institution he or she attends, and who is
at risk of not persisting in his or her course of study due to the
unforeseen financial challenge.

(B) “Emergency student financial assistance” means financial
support in the form of financial assistance to support a student to
help overcome unforeseen financial challenges so that the student
can continue his or her course of study.

(4) No more than 3 percent of the total funding that a community
college district or campus receives for the Student Success and
Support Program may be used for the provision of emergency
student financial assistance.

end delete

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 72670.7 is added to the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert , to
read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 72670.7. end insert   

(a) An auxiliary organization established pursuant
to Section 72670.5 shall provide guidelines and resources for
community college districts or campuses that seek to establish
student emergency aid programs among the supportive services
and specialized programs it provides.

(b) Any funds that the auxiliary organization may receive may
be used for the provision of emergency student financial assistance
to help eligible students to overcome unforeseen financial
challenges that would directly impact the student’s ability to persist
in his or her course of study. These challenges include, but are
not necessarily limited to, the immediate need for shelter or food.
The auxiliary organization shall encourage each community
college district and campus to which it provides supportive services
or specialized programs under this section to consider the unique
characteristics of its student body in developing specific guidelines
for further defining what constitutes an unforeseen financial
challenge for its students.

(c) For purposes of this section, the following terms are defined
as follows:

(1) “Eligible student” means a student who has experienced an
unforeseen financial challenge, who currently meets satisfactory
academic progress of the institution he or she attends, and who is
at risk of not persisting in his or her course of study due to the
unforeseen financial challenge.

(2) “Emergency student financial assistance” means financial
support in the form of financial assistance to support a student to
help overcome unforeseen financial challenges so that the student
can continue his or her course of study.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that priority for emergency
assistance funding be given to community college districts or
campuses based on their enrollment of student populations that
are in the most need.

(e) The auxiliary organization may solicit and accept private
funding for the purposes of this section. These private funding
sources may include, but are not necessarily limited to,
foundations, corporate funding, crowdfunding, donation drives,
or any other sources of private investment that may be available.

end insert