Amended in Assembly August 19, 2016

Amended in Assembly August 15, 2016

Amended in Assembly August 1, 2016

Amended in Assembly June 23, 2016

Amended in Assembly June 8, 2016

Senate Bill No. 412

Introduced by Senators Glazer and De León

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Baker and Levine)

February 25, 2015

An act to add and repeal Part 40.2 (commencing with Section 67430) of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 412, as amended, Glazer. begin delete The end delete begin insert Public postsecondary education: The end insert California Promise.

Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as 2 of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state.

This bill would establish the California Promise, which would require specified minimum numbers of campuses of the California State University to establish a California Promise program begin delete to end delete begin insert by which the campus would end insert enter into a pledge with a student who satisfies specified criteria to support the student in begin delete obtaining end delete begin insert earning end insert a baccalaureate degree within 4 academic years, or if the student is a community college transfer student who earned an associate degree for transfer, within 2 academic years, of the academic year of the student’s begin delete admission, as defined. end delete begin insert first year of enrollment, as specified. end insert The bill would require the trustees to begin delete submit end delete begin insert submit, by July 1, 2021, end insert a report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature that includes begin delete demographic end delete begin insert specified end insert information about students who participate in the program and a summary description of significant differences in implementation of the program by begin delete campus. end delete begin insert campuses. end insert The bill would require the trustees to submit begin delete recommendations end delete begin insert recommendations, by March 15, 2017, end insert to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature regarding potential financial incentives that begin delete can end delete begin insert could end insert benefit students who participate in the program. The bill’s provisions would be repealed as of January 1, begin delete 2024. end delete begin insert 2026. 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.  

Part 40.2 (commencing with Section 67430) is
added to Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:

 

PART 40.2.  THE CALIFORNIA PROMISE

 

67430.  

This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the
California Promise.

67431.  

For purposes of this part, the following terms have the
following meanings:

(a) “Academic year of the student’s begin delete admission” end delete begin insert first year of
enrollment end insert begin insert ” end insert means the first full academic year in which a person
is a student at the California State University.

(b) “Campus” means a campus within the California State
University system as set forth in Section 89001.

(c) “Transfer student” is a begin delete community college end delete student who
earned an associate degree for begin delete transfer. end delete begin insert transfer from a California
community college. end insert

(d) “Trustees” means the Trustees of the California State
University.

67432.  

The California Promise is hereby established to support

begin delete students who enroll in the campuses of the California State
University in obtaining baccalaureate degrees within four academic
years of the academic year of the student’s admission or within
two academic years of the student’s admission to the campus for
transfer students. end delete begin insert California State University students in earning
a baccalaureate degree within four academic years of the student’s
first year of enrollment or, for transfer students within two
academic years of the student’s first year of enrollment to the
campus. end insert

67433.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

begin delete

(a) This part is needed to facilitate the availability and
completion of coursework for degree programs offered by
campuses of the California State University and to ensure that
students enrolled at these campuses are able to complete
baccalaureate degree programs within four academic years of the
academic year of the student’s admission or within two academic
years of the student’s admission to the campus for transfer students.

end delete begin delete

(b)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert a) end insert  A more concerted, statewide effort to create pathways to
four-year graduation is needed at the California State University.
For the 2010 cohort of full-time, first-time students at the California
State University, 19 percent graduated within four academic years.
According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the most recent
nationally comparable data shows that the California State
University’s overall four-year graduation rate was 16 percent in
2011, below the national rate of 26 percent among similar public
institutions.

begin delete

(c) Impediments to graduating within four academic years
include the failure of students to complete sufficient units per
academic year and the lack of available high-demand courses.

end delete begin insert

(b) Impediments students face in graduating within four
academic years include the inability to complete sufficient units
per academic year or take courses that are part of their degree
programs.

end insert begin delete

(d)

end delete

begin insert (c) end insert  New approaches are critical for the future of higher education
in California. Efforts have been ongoing, though sporadic, to
improve postsecondary educational institution enrollment and
graduation. These efforts will need to be intensified and made
more broadly systemic.

begin delete

(e)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert d) end insert  Students who graduate within four academic years save tens
of thousands of dollars. In addition to the direct costs of extended
college and university enrollment, students miss out on earnings
in the workforce while they remain in school.

begin delete

(f) When California experiences a decline in college and
university graduates, the state’s economy shrinks and employers
seek qualified candidates outside the state. Furthermore, a larger
share of the state’s workforce is downgraded to lower-paying jobs
and consumer behavior and home ownership declines, which leads
to plummeting revenues for local and state government and to
more people relying on increasingly decimated government
services.

end delete begin delete

(g)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert e) end insert  According to the Public Policy Institute of California, if bold
measures are not taken, California will fall short of the state’s
economic demand by 1.1 million college and university graduates
by 2030. An increased demand for highly educated workers will
outweigh the number of qualified applicants for available jobs,
which will be exacerbated when scores of highly educated baby
boomers retire. The share of workers with a baccalaureate degree
will be 33 percent in 2030, below the 38 percent that will be
needed.

begin delete

(h)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert f) end insert  The impact of graduation rates from California State
University campuses is felt not only throughout the state, but also
the nation. One out of every 10 California employees is a California
State University graduate, while one out of every 20 United States
citizens with a college or university degree graduates from a
campus of the California State University. These statistics
emphasize the national importance of graduation rates at California
State University campuses.

begin delete

(i) It is the intent of the Legislature that the California Promise
will enable the California State University system to meet and
exceed the national average of similar public postsecondary
educational institutions as quickly as possible.

end delete begin insert

(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that the California State
University system include the California Promise as a component
of the plan submitted to the Legislature and the Department of
Finance to increase graduation rates at CSU campuses above
those at other institutions and increase graduation rates for
low-income students, first-generation students, and students from
underrepresented minority groups as quickly as possible.

end insert begin delete

(j)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert h) end insert  The California Promise programs established at the
California State University in accordance with this part should aim
to reflect the demographics of their respective begin delete campuses and target
a diverse set of students. end delete begin insert campuses and make the benefits provided
available on an equitable basis considering the populations
attending each campus. end insert

67434.  

(a) The trustees shall develop and implement a
California Promise program that complies with this part.

(b) Commencing with the 2017-18 begin delete fiscal end delete begin insert academic end insert year, a
minimum of eight campuses shall begin delete establish end delete begin insert have established end insert a
California Promise program begin delete pursuant to subdivision (a) to enter end delete
begin insert by which the campus enters end insert into a pledge with a qualifying student
who is enrolled at the campus and who is not a transfer student to
support the student in begin delete obtaining end delete begin insert earning end insert a baccalaureate degree
within four academic years of the academic year of the student’s

begin delete admission. end delete begin insert first year of enrollment. end insert

(c) Commencing with the 2017-18 begin delete fiscal end delete begin insert academic end insert year, a
minimum of 15 campuses shall begin delete establish end delete begin insert have established end insert a
California Promise program begin delete pursuant to subdivision (a) to enter end delete
begin insert by which the campus enters end insert into a pledge with a qualifying transfer
student to support the student in begin delete obtaining end delete begin insert earning end insert a baccalaureate
degree program within two academic years of the student’s
begin delete admission end delete begin insert first year of enrollment end insert to the campus, as applicable.

(d) Commencing with the 2018-19 begin delete fiscal end delete begin insert academic end insert year, a
minimum of begin delete 5 additional campuses for a total minimum of end delete 20
campuses shall begin delete establish end delete begin insert have established end insert a California Promise
program begin delete pursuant to subdivision (a) to enter end delete begin insert by which the campus
enters end insert into a pledge with a qualifying transfer student to support
the student in begin delete obtaining end delete begin insert earning end insert a baccalaureate degree begin delete program end delete
within two academic years of the student’s begin delete admission end delete begin insert first year of
enrollment end insert to the campus, as applicable.

(e) begin delete   end delete begin delete Except as provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (f), to end delete
begin insert To end insert be a qualifying begin insert entering end insert student or transfer student at the
California State University, the student must comply with both of
the following:

(1) Be a California resident for purposes of in-state tuition
eligibility.

(2)  begin delete Complete end delete begin insert Commit to completing end insert at least 30 semester units
or the quarter equivalent per academic year. Units completed by
the student during a summer term may count towards the previous
or following academic year as determined by the trustees.

begin delete

(f) (1) Each program established by the trustees at a California
State University campus shall be reviewed by a graduation
initiative advisory committee of that campus or a committee
designated with similar functions. The committee shall ensure the
goals of the program and implementation steps lead to increasing
the campus’ four-year graduation rates for students who enrolled
as first-time freshman and two-year graduation rates for transfer
students, as applicable.

(2) The committee at each campus shall develop additional
eligibility requirements to prioritize specific student populations
that have lower four-year graduation rates at the campus for those
who enroll as first-time freshman and lower two-year graduation
rates for those who enroll as transfer students, including, but not
limited to, all of the following student populations:

(A) Students who receive financial aid under the Federal Pell
Grant Program (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070a) or the Cal Grant Program
established in Chapter 1.7 (commencing with Section 69430) of
Part 42.

(B) Underrepresented students.

(C) First generation college students.

end delete begin insert

(f) Each College Promise program shall be reviewed by a
graduation initiative advisory committee of the campus or a
committee with similar functions designated by the president of
the campus.

end insert begin insert

(g) (1) A campus shall guarantee participation in the program
to, at a minimum, any student who is any of the following:

end insert begin insert

(A) A low-income student. For purposes of this section,
“low-income student” shall have the same meaning as specified
in Section 89295.

end insert begin insert

(B) A student who has graduated from a high school located in
a community that is underrepresented in college attendance.

end insert begin insert

(C) A student who is a first-generation college student.

end insert begin insert

(D) A transfer student.

end insert begin delete

(3)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert 2) end insert  It is the intent of the Legislature that the California Promise
program at each campus begin delete gradually scale up in order to end delete
accommodate as many students into the program as feasible and
in consideration of available funding.

begin delete

(g)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert h) end insert  Support provided by a California State University campus
to a student who participates in the begin delete campus’ end delete California Promise
program shall include, but not begin insert necessarily end insert be limited to, both of
the following:

(1) (A) Priority registration in coursework. begin delete For purposes of this
paragraph, both of the following shall apply: end delete

(B)  begin delete A end delete begin insert For purposes of this paragraph, a end insert student shall not receive
priority registration in coursework under the program if he or she
qualifies for priority registration under another policy or program,
as determined by the campus or the Office of the Chancellor of
the California State University.

begin delete

(C) A student shall only receive priority registration in
coursework over other students within his or her cohort of students,
as determined by the campus or the Office of the Chancellor of
the California State University.

end delete begin insert

(C) A graduation initiative advisory committee of the campus,
or a committee with similar functions designated by the president
of the campus, shall consider pre-existing priority registration
policies when implementing this section.

end insert

(2) Academic advisement that includes monitoring the student’s
academic progress.

begin delete

(h)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert i) end insert  (1) The trustees shall develop application criteria,
administrative guidelines, and additional requirements, including
how campuses will measure student success, for purposes of
implementing and administering the California Promise program.

begin delete

(2) Requirements developed in accordance with paragraph (1)
may include a requirement that a student who participates in a
California Promise program maintain a minimum grade point
average determined by the student’s campus.

end delete begin insert

(2) As a condition of continued participation in a California
Promise program, a student may be required to demonstrate both
of the following:

end insert begin insert

(A) Completion of at least 30 semester units, or the quarter
equivalent, in each prior academic year.

end insert begin insert

(B) Attainment of a grade point average in excess of a standard
established by the campus.

end insert

(3) In begin delete developing requirements for the California Promise
program, end delete begin insert implementing this part, end insert the trustees shall take into
consideration the report on graduation rates required pursuant to
Item 6610-001-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2016.

begin delete

(i)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert j) end insert  (1) The trustees shall submit a report to the appropriate
policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by July 1, 2021,
that includes all of the following:

(A) The begin delete total end delete number of students participating in the program
begin insert in total, by campus, and end insert disaggregated begin delete by individual campus and
all of end delete begin insert based on end insert the following:

begin delete

(i) Transfer students and students who enroll as first-time
freshman.

end delete begin delete

(ii) First generation college students.

end delete begin insert

(i) Whether the student entered as a first-time freshman or a
transfer student.

end insert begin insert

(ii) Whether the student is a first-generation college student.

end insert

(iii)  begin delete Recipients end delete begin insert Whether the student is a recipient end insert of financial
aid under the Federal Pell Grant Program (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070a)
or the Cal Grant Program established in Chapter 1.7 (commencing
with Section 69430) of Part 42.

(iv)  begin delete Student end delete begin insert According to the student’s end insert ethnicity.

(B) The total number of students who graduated in four
academic years for students who begin delete enrolled end delete begin insert entered end insert as first-time
begin delete freshman end delete begin insert freshmen, end insert and two academic begin delete years for transfer students,
disaggregated by individual campus and end delete begin insert years, for students who
entered as transfer students, in total, by campus, and disaggregated
based on end insert the characteristics identified in clauses (i) to (iv),
inclusive, or subparagraph (A).

begin delete

(2) The trustees shall submit a report to the appropriate policy
and fiscal committees of the Legislature by July 1, 2019, that
includes the total number of the first cohort of transfer students
participating in the program, disaggregated by individual campus
and the characteristics listed in clauses (ii) to (iv), inclusive, of
subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1).

(3)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert 2) end insert  The begin delete reports required in paragraphs (1) and (2) end delete begin insert report
required by paragraph (1) end insert shall include a summary description of
significant differences begin delete regarding end delete begin insert in the end insert implementation of the
California Promise program begin delete by campus, including, but not limited
to, the prioritization of student populations pursuant to paragraph
(2) of subdivision (f) if applicable, the role of academic advising,
and the implementation of priority registration. end delete begin insert at each campus. end insert

begin delete

(j)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert k) end insert  The trustees shall submit recommendations to the appropriate
policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by March 15, 2017,
regarding potential financial incentives that begin delete can end delete begin insert could end insert benefit
students who participate in the California Promise begin delete program,
including, but not limited to, incentives for qualifying students
who are unable to graduate within four or two academic years, as
applicable, due to a lack of course offerings. end delete begin insert program. end insert

begin delete

(k)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert l) end insert  A student who successfully completes his or her associate
degree for transfer at a community college shall be guaranteed
participation in the California Promise program at the California
State University transfer campus, if established.

begin delete

(l)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert m) end insert  The trustees shall make every effort to close the achievement
gap and encourage broad participation in a California Promise
program that reflects begin delete a participating campus’ demographics. end delete begin insert the
demographic populations served by the campus. end insert

67435.  

This part shall remain in effect only until January 1,
begin delete 2024, end delete begin insert 2026, end insert and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, begin delete 2024, end delete begin insert 2026, end insert deletes or
extends that date.