BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2822|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2822
Author: Chiu (D), et al.
Amended: 8/16/16 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 8-1, 6/29/16
AYES: Liu, Block, Hancock, Huff, Leyva, Mendoza, Monning, Pan
NOES: Vidak
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 5-2, 8/11/16
AYES: Lara, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza
NOES: Bates, Nielsen
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 55-25, 6/2/16 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Student financial aid: community college students:
emergency financial assistance
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill requires the California Community Colleges
(CCC) Chancellor's Office to provide guidelines for community
college districts or campuses that seek to establish student
emergency aid programs among the services it provides.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Establishes the CCC, under the administration of the Board of
Governors of the CCC, as one of the segments of public
postsecondary education in this state. (Education Code
§70900)
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2)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 CCC. (EC § 72670)
This bill:
1)Requires the CCC Chancellor's Office to provide guidelines for
community college districts or campuses that seek to establish
student emergency aid programs among the services it provides.
2)Authorizes a community college district, campus, or local
community college foundation to solicit and accept funding
from private sources that may include, but are not limited to,
foundations, corporate funding, crowdfunding, donation drives,
or any other sources of private investments.
3)Provides that only private funds that a community college
district, campus, or local community college foundation may
receive may be used for 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.
4)Specifies that these challenges include, but are not
necessarily limited to, the immediate need for shelter or
food.
5)Requires a community college district, community college
campus, or local community college foundation 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.
6)Declares the intent of the Legislature that priority be given
to student populations that are in most need.
7)Requires an eligible student to:
a) Currently meet satisfactory academic progress at the
institution of attendance.
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b) Be at risk of not persisting in his or her course of
study due to the unforeseen financial challenge.
8)Defines various terms for purposes of the bill.
Comments
1)Need for the bill. According to the author, emergency aid
provides 'just-in-time" grants to students or quick infusions
of funds when a student finds themselves with unexpected costs
such as medical expenses, car repairs or child care. The
author reports that three community colleges, Pasadena City
College, Grossmont Community College, and Cuyamaca Community
College have started such a program since 2010. The author
contends that this type of assistance would further the
ability of CCC to retain students by allowing grants for
students who would otherwise be forced to leave school because
of these unforeseen financial challenges. This bill proposes
to fund such a program with Student Success Act funding
currently provided for matriculation services.
2)Existing emergency assistance programs. This bill requires
the Chancellor's Office to develop guidelines regarding the
establishment of student emergency aid programs for community
colleges that seek to establish programs among the supportive
services and specialized programs they provide. According to
the CCC there are existing categorical programs, such as the
Extended Opportunity Programs and Services that have within
their scope the ability to provide emergency grants from these
programs using state funds, though this practice appears to be
rare. According to the author, while some districts have
foundations which have established these types of programs, it
is the intent of this bill to ensure that resources for this
purpose are available to districts and campuses that may lack
the resources and infrastructure to establish a local
foundation to address these needs.
This bill specifies that these programs would provide
financial assistance to students to help them overcome
unforeseen financial challenges that directly impact their
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Page 4
ability to persist in their course of study. This allows for
broad interpretation of what constitutes an unforeseen
financial challenge. These programs are likely to be designed
and administered considerably differently by campus. However,
the Pasadena City College offers an example. It implements a
program that provides grants of up to $500 for certain
eligible expenses such as utilities, rent, medical and dental
costs, or car expenses as long as students take a minimum
number of courses and maintain a certain grade point average.
Money for books or tuition-related expenses is not permitted.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the California
Community College, Chancellor's Office indicates that the costs
to develop the required guidelines would be minor.
SUPPORT: (Verified 8/15/16)
Student Senate for California Community Colleges Region X
Student Senate for California Community Colleges Region IX
Student Senate for California Community Colleges Region IV
Student Senate for California Community Colleges Region V
Student Senate for California Community Colleges Region VI
Student Senate for California Community Colleges Region VII
Student Senate for California Community Colleges Region VIII
Student Senate for California Community Colleges Region I
Student Senate for California Community Colleges Region II
Student Senate for California Community Colleges Region III
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/15/16)
None received
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Page 5
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 55-25, 6/2/16
AYES: Alejo, Arambula, Atkins, Baker, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta,
Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chiu, Chu, Cooley,
Cooper, Dababneh, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Cristina
Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez,
Gordon, Gray, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer,
Lackey, Levine, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, McCarty, Medina,
Mullin, Nazarian, O'Donnell, Quirk, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez,
Salas, Santiago, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Weber, Williams,
Wood, Rendon
NOES: Achadjian, Travis Allen, Bigelow, Brough, Chang, Chávez,
Dahle, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Jones,
Kim, Linder, Mathis, Mayes, Melendez, Obernolte, Olsen,
Patterson, Steinorth, Wagner, Waldron, Wilk
Prepared by:Olgalilia Ramirez / ED. / (916) 651-4105
8/16/16 17:33:38
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