AB 1318, as amended, Bonilla. Student financial aid: Cal Grant Program.
Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlementbegin delete Awardsend deletebegin insert awardsend insert, the California Community College Transfer Cal Grant Entitlementbegin delete Awardsend deletebegin insert awardsend insert, the Competitive Cal Grant A and Bbegin delete Awardsend deletebegin insert awardsend insert, the Cal Grant Cbegin delete Awardsend deletebegin insert
awardsend insert, and the Cal Grant Tbegin delete Awardsend deletebegin insert awardsend insert under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions, as defined.
This bill would add provisions that would set the maximum Cal Grant award levels for students attending nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions that are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, commencing with the 2014-15 award year. The bill would provide that a nonpublic postsecondary educational institution accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges would be deemed a qualifying institution if the total amount of institutional aid, as defined, provided to California resident students by that institution, in any award year, is no less than 50% of the total Cal Grant awards received by their students, except for institutions meeting prescribed conditions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) California relies on private colleges and universities
4accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
5(WASC) to help meet the state’s higher education needs.
6(b) The maximum award for Cal Grant students attending
7WASC accredited private colleges and universities has not
8increased since 1999:
9(1) It was cut by almost 15 percent for the 2005-06 and 2006-07
10cohorts.
11(2) It
was cut by 5 percent for new and renewal grants for the
122012-13 award year, and is scheduled to be cut an additional 1.5
13percent in the 2013-14 award year and 11 percent in the 2014-15
14award year for new awardees.
15(3) Even if the maximum award had not been cut, its value
16
would have decreased by over 30 percent due to inflation.
17(4) In inflation-adjusted dollars, the maximum award for the
182014-15 award year will be the lowest amount California has
19invested in academically qualified, financially deserving students
20that attend private WASC accredited institutions.
21(c) The Cal Grant program effectively and successfully helps
22California’s private colleges and universities to recruit, retain, and
23graduate historically underrepresented students from low-income
24families.
25(d) Predictable and stable funding formulas and eligibility
26requirements ensure that the state maximizes its investment and
27allows families to plan and pay for higher education.
28(e) Legislative action is needed to adopt a reasonable formula
29that supports predictability and supports parity for students at
30private colleges.
Section 66021.2 of the Education Code is amended to
2read:
Consistent with the state’s historic commitment to
4provide educational opportunity by ensuring both student access
5to and selection of an institution of higher education for students
6with financial need, the long-term policy of the
7Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program
8established pursuant to Chapter 1.7 (commencing with Section
969430) of Part 42 shall be as follows:
10(a) Commencing with the 2001-02 academic year and every
11year thereafter, an applicant for a Cal Grant A or B award shall
12receive an award that is not in excess of the financial need amount
13determined by the Student Aid Commission pursuant to Section
1469432.9 if he or she complies with all
of the following
15requirements:
16(1) Demonstrates financial need under the criteria adopted
17pursuant to Section 69432.9.
18(2) Attains a grade point average, as defined in Section 69432.7,
19meeting the requirements of Chapter 1.7 (commencing with Section
2069430) of Part 42.
21(3) Complies with each of the eligibility criteria applicable to
22the type of Cal Grant award for which he or she is applying.
23(b) (1) The maximum Cal Grant A award for a student attending
24the University of California or the California State University shall
25equal the mandatory systemwide fees in each of those segments.
26(2) The maximum Cal Grant B award for a student to which
27this subdivision is applicable shall equal the mandatory systemwide
28fees in the segment attended by the student, except for community
29college students who receive waivers from the Board of Governors
30of the California Community Colleges, plus the access award
31calculated as specified in Article 3 (commencing with Section
3269435) of Chapter 1.7 of Part 42, except that in the first year of
33enrollment in a qualifying institution, the maximum award shall
34be only for the amount of the access award.
35(c) The maximum Cal Grant awards for students attending
36nonpublic institutions shall be as follows:
37(1) The maximum Cal Grant A award shall equal the tuition
38award level established in the Budget Act of 2000, or the amount
39as
adjusted in subsequent annual budget acts.
P4 1(2) The maximum Cal Grant B award shall equal the amount
2of the tuition award as established in the Budget Act of 2000, or
3the amount as adjusted in subsequent annual budget acts, plus the
4amount of the access costs specified in Section 69435, except that,
5in the first year of enrollment in a qualifying institution, the
6maximum award shall be only for the amount of the access award.
7(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), and notwithstanding
8Section 69432:
9(A) The maximum Cal Grant award for a student attending a
10nonpublic postsecondary educational institution accredited by the
11Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall be set and
12maintained atbegin delete 80end deletebegin insert
75end insert
percent of the base funding per Cal Grant
13student at the University of California and the California State
14University, as determined by the averagebegin delete state support per student begin insert General Fund support per
15plus the average Cal Grant award for the University of California
16and the California State Universityend delete
17student at the California State University and the University of
18California, plus the maximum Cal Grant award at those segments
19each multiplied by the percentage of California resident full-time
20equivalent students at both segments who attend the respective
21segmentend insert, except as provided in clauses (i) to (iv), inclusive.
22(i) For the 2014-15 award year, the maximum award shall be
2370
percent of the amount calculated pursuant to subparagraph (A).
24(ii) For the 2015-16 award year, the maximum award shall be
2580 percent of the amount calculated pursuant to subparagraph (A).
26(iii) For the 2016-17 award year, the maximum award shall be
2790 percent of the amount calculated pursuant to subparagraph (A).
28(iv) For the 2017-18 award year and each award year thereafter,
29the maximum award shall be 100 percent of the amount calculated
30pursuant to subparagraph (A).
31(B) A nonpublic postsecondary educational institution accredited
32by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall be
33deemed a qualifying institution if the total amount of institutional
34aid
provided to California resident students by that institution, in
35any award year, is no less than 50 percent of the total Cal Grant
36awards received by its students, unless that institution has fewer
37than 50 students receiving Cal Grant awards or charges an annual
38tuition that is no more than 50 percent of the average of the annual
39tuition charged by all institutions to which this subparagraph is
40applicable.
P5 1(C) As used in this paragraph:
end delete
2(i) “Average state support per student” means the total General
3Fund support for the University of California and the California
4State University divided by the number of California resident
5full-time equivalent students for each four-year public segment.
6(ii) “Institutional
end delete
7begin insert(C)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertAs used in this paragraph, “institutionalend insert aid” includes
8scholarships and fellowships granted and funded by a
9postsecondary educational institution or by a department within
10that institution, and includes scholarships targeted to certain
11individuals based on, for example, state of residence, major field
12of study, or athletic team participation, for which the institution
13designates the recipient.
14(d) Commencing with the 2000-01 academic year, and each
15academic year thereafter, the Cal Grant C award shall be utilized
16only for occupational or technical training.
17(e) Commencing with the 2000-01 academic year, and each
18academic year
thereafter, the Cal Grant T award shall be used only
19for one academic year of full-time attendance in a program of
20professional preparation that has been approved by the California
21Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
22(f) An institution of higher education in this state that
23participates in the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal
24Grant Program shall not reduce its level of per capita need-based
25institutional financial aid to undergraduate students, excluding
26loans, below the total level awarded in the 2000-01 academic year.
27(g) The implementation of the policy set forth in this section
28shall maintain a balance between the state’s policy goals of
29ensuring student access to and selection of an institution of higher
30education for students with financial need and academic merit.
31(h) It is the policy of the State of California that the
32Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program
33supplement the federal Pell Grant program.
34(i) An award under the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos
35Cal Grant Program shall not guarantee admission to an institution
36of higher education or admission to a specific campus or program.
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