BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 194
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 6, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                    AB 194 (Beall) - As Amended:  March 24, 2011 

          Policy Committee:                              Higher 
          EducationVote:7-2

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires each campus of the California State 
          University (CSU) and the California Community Colleges (CCC), 
          and requests the University of California (UC), to give priority 
          in enrollment in classes to foster youth and to former foster 
          youth up to 24 years of age.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)CSU indicates minor one-time IT costs of about $41,000 for 15 
            campuses to implement priority registration for foster youth.  
            (The remaining eight CSU campuses already provide such 
            priority registration.)  UC and CCC campuses would incur minor 
            absorbable costs to implement the priority registration. 

          2)To the extent providing priority registration for classes 
            increases the success rate of these students, there could be 
            state and local savings for services that might otherwise be 
            provided to foster youth and former foster youth.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Background and Purpose  . There are currently between 600 and 
            800 former foster youth attending UC, 1,200 attending CSU, and 
            6,500 attending CCC.  According to a December 2005 report by 
            the Institute for Higher Education Policy entitled, "Higher 
            Education Opportunities for Foster Youth," of the foster youth 
            who complete high school and are college qualified, only about 
            20% enrolled in higher education compared to about 60% of 
            their peers. 









                                                                  AB 194
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            Beginning in 2012, and pursuant to AB 12(Beall)/Chapter 559 of 
            2010, foster youth may continue to receive foster care 
            assistance with housing and other services until age 21, but 
            this transitional assistance is contingent upon their 
            participation in a school or work programs, pursuant to 
            federal law. 

            According to the author, for these students, getting access to 
            the classes they need to graduate will help ensure that this 
            vulnerable student population will get the support they need 
            to not just enter college, but to succeed in getting a degree 
            or certificate.

           2)Prior Legislation . SB 272 (Runner)/Chapter 356 of 2007, 
            granted priority enrollment to any member or former member of 
            the U.S. Armed Forces within two years of leaving active duty.

           3)Related Legislation  . AB 649 (Harkey), pending in this 
            committee, extends the priority enrollment of SB 272 from two 
            years to five years after leaving active duty.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081