BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2822
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Date of Hearing: April 19, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Jose Medina, Chair
AB 2822
(Chiu) - As Amended March 17, 2016
SUBJECT: Student financial aid: Student Success and Support
Program: emergency student financial assistance.
SUMMARY: Authorizes the use of Student Success and Support
Program (SSSP) funds for the provision of emergency student
financial assistance. Specifically, this bill:
1)Authorizes funding for SSSP to be used for providing emergency
student financial assistance in order to assist eligible
students to overcome unforeseen financial challenges,
including, but not necessarily limited to, the immediate need
for shelter or food.
2)Specifies that in order for emergency student financial
assistance to be an allowable use of SSSP funds, emergency
student financial assistance shall be included in the
institution's plan for interventions to students.
3)Defines "eligible student" to mean 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
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her course of study due to the unforeseen financial challenge.
4)Defines "emergency student financial assistance" to mean
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.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Creates the SSSP in order to provide a variety of programs
intended to ensure the success of CCC students, including, but
not limited to: a) student assessment before course
registration; b) counseling and other education planning
services; c) advising; and, d) development of an education
plan leading to a course of study. Specifies funding for SSSP
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. (Education Code (EC)
78212).
2)Requires that all community college districts (CCD), with the
assistance of the California Community Colleges (CCC)
Chancellor, establish and maintain institutional research to
evaluate the effectiveness of the SSSP, as specified, and of
any other programs or services designed to facilitate
students' completion of their educational goals and course of
study. Specifies the metrics for said research shall include,
but be not limited to the following: a) prior educational
experience, including transcripts when appropriate, as
determined by the chancellor; b) educational goals and courses
of study; c) criteria for exemption from orientation,
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assessment, or required counseling or advisement, if
applicable; d) need for financial assistance; e) disaggregated
data by ethnicity, gender, disability, age, and socioeconomic
status, to the extent this information is available; f)
academic performance, such as the completion of specified unit
thresholds, success in basic skills courses, grade point
average, course completion outcomes, transfer readiness, and
degree and certificate completion; and, g) any additional
information that the chancellor finds appropriate (EC Section
78214).
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: Student success and support. Senate Bill 1456
(Lowenthal), Chapter 624, Statutes of 2012, was enacted to
implement some of the Student Success Task Force
recommendations. Among other things, SB 1456 revised and recast
the Seymour-Campbell Matriculation Act of 1986 as the
Seymour-Campbell Success Act of 2012 in order to target funding
to services such as orientation, assessment, and counseling and
advising to assist students with the development of education
plans. It also required that students define goals, required
that students declare a course of study and mandated student
participation in assessment, orientation and education planning.
At a regulatory level, the CCC Board of Governors (BOG) has
approved regulations that provide enrollment priority to
students who have participated in assessment, orientation and
who have developed an education plan. A revision of Title 5
regulations is in progress to implement provisions of SB 1456 to
require students to complete core services as well as to declare
a course of study. Additionally, in 2012 the Board of Governors
adopted enrollment priorities and, in Spring 2013, districts are
required to notify students that accumulating 100 degree
applicable units or being on academic or progress probation for
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two consecutive terms will result in the loss of enrollment
priority. Finally, as of Fall 2014, students who complete
orientation, assessment, and have a student education plan, will
receive a higher enrollment priority.
Funding structure for SSSP. Existing funding for the SSSP is
targeted to fully implement core services: orientation;
assessment; counseling; advising; and other education planning
services needed to assist a student in making an informed
decision about his/her education goal and course of study and to
develop an education plan; and, follow up for at-risk students.
Additionally, SSSP funds may only be used for core services and
any CCD or college receiving SSSP funding must agree to
implement the CCC BOG's system of common assessment.
Emergency aid. According to information provided by the author,
the field of emergency aid is emerging as a best practice for
community colleges around the nation; however, the field is
remains relative new. California presently has three community
colleges, Cuyamaca Community College, Grossmont Community
College, and Pasadena Community College that have begun
emergency aid programs. To note, Committee staff understands
that anecdotally, many community colleges are hesitant to
implement some form of emergency aid shy of clear direction from
the Legislature.
Additionally, According to a December 2015 report, by Wisconsin
Hope Lab, entitled, "Investing in Student Completion:
Overcoming Financial Barriers to Retention Through Small-Dollar
Grants and Emergency Aid Programs," a deepening financial need
among students exists and growing concerns about college
retention. The report finds that there is an increased interest
in emergency aid programs, but also many challenges in
implementing them effectively, due in part, to administrators
having to delicately navigate tensions between providing access
and support and rationing scarce resources. The report
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recommends that clear criteria for program eligibility, while
providing flexibility for determinations in unusual
circumstances, must be established and clearly communicated.
This measure would provide clear authority to community colleges
to be able to utilize SSSP funds for emergency aid, if they so
choose.
Purpose of this measure. According to the author, "If
California seriously wants to meet the goals outlined in the
Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act, then the CCCs should have
every effective tool available to them." The author contends
that, this measure provides the CCCs another means to supporting
students, despite unforeseen financial emergencies.
This measure would allow California's community colleges to use
SSSP funds in order to provide emergency aid to eligible
students who face unforeseen financial challenges. The measure
stipulates that eligible students must be making satisfactory
academic progress and be at risk of dropping out of school, due
to an unforeseen financial emergency.
The author argues that, "This measure would further the goals of
California community colleges' to retain and graduate students
by providing emergency aid, at just the right time, to students
who would otherwise be forced to leave school because of a
financial emergency."
Policy considerations. As presently drafted, this measure
authorizes community college districts to use SSSP funds in
order to provide emergency student financial assistance to
students needing to overcome unforeseen financial challenges.
While the measure indicates that unforeseen financial challenges
may include the immediate need for food or shelter, the bill
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does not define the term "unforeseen financial challenges."
Moving forward, the author may wish to define the term
"unforeseen financial challenges."
As aforementioned, this measure authorizes community college
districts to use SSSP funds in order to provide assistance to
students facing emergency financial situations; however, the
measure is silent as to the percentage of SSSP funds that
community college districts may appropriate in order to meet the
financial needs of the students.
Moving forward, the author may wish to work with the California
Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, in order to provide
clarity as to the usage of SSSP funds for the specified purpose
outlined in this measure.
Previous legislation. SB 1143 (Liu) Chapter 409, Statutes of
2010, created the California Community Colleges Student Success
Task Force which made 22 recommendations to the CCC BOG to
improve student educational achievement in the state. To note,
the CCC BOG approved the recommendations in January 2012, which
focused on increasing student graduation, transfer, and
certificate completion rates at then all 112 community colleges.
SB 1456 (Lowenthal) Chapter 624, Statutes of 2012, established
the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, and among
other reforms to the CCCs relating to student success,
established the SSSP. To note, since the enactment of SB 1456,
the Legislature and the Governor have continually provided
funding to SSSP.
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REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
The Institute for College Access & Success
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Scholarhip America
Student Senate for California Community Colleges
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
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