BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
SB 1023 (Liu) - Community Colleges: Foster Youth
Amended: April 24, 2014 Policy Vote: Education 8-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: May 12, 2013 Consultant: Jacqueline
Wong-Hernandez
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: SB 1023 authorizes the California Community
Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) to enter into agreements
with community college districts (CCDs), in collaboration with
the Department of Social Services (DSS), the County Probation
Officers Association, and county child welfare agencies, to
provide additional funds for services in support of
postsecondary education for foster youth and former foster
youth. This bill also establishes eligibility and participation
requirements for the program.
Fiscal Impact: The actual level of program funding will be
determined by the BOG, and presumably would be based on a budget
appropriation for this purpose.
Foster youth services: $8 million - $11 million (General
Fund) annually to provide the services described, depending
on the distribution of eligible participants and the level
of CCD participation.
Administration: Approximately $175,000 (General Fund) to
the CCCCO to establish the program and develop guidelines in
coordination with specified groups, which includes 1 PY for
the program and 1 PY office technician, and travel. Ongoing
costs would likely be less, once the programs are
operational and staff is primarily responsible for only the
reporting requirements.
Background: The Community College Extended Opportunity Programs
and Services (EOPS) works to increase the enrollment of students
who are affected by language, social and economic disadvantages,
improve the delivery of programs and services to the
disadvantaged, and increase the number of students who
successfully complete their chosen educational objectives, are
placed into career employment, and transfer to four-year
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institutions. EOPS is to supplement the regular educational
programs of the CCC. (Education Code � 69640-69656)
In order to be eligible for EOPS, a student must: 1) be a
resident of California; 2) be enrolled full-time (12 units); the
EOPS director is authorized to allow up to 10% of EOPS students
to be enrolled in nine units; 3) not have completed more than 70
units of degree applicable credit coursework; 4) qualify to
receive a BOG fee waiver; and, 5) be educationally disadvantaged
as determined by the EOPS director. (California Code of
Regulations, Title 5, � 56220)
The Student Success Act, in existing law, applies to all CCC
students for the purpose of increasing student access and
success by providing effective core matriculation services,
including orientation, assessment and placement, counseling and
other education planning services and academic interventions.
CCCs are responsible for providing student services and support,
including orientation, assessment, counseling and education
planning, referral to specialized support services, and
evaluation of each student's progress and referral to
appropriate interventions. Students are responsible for
identifying an academic and career goal, declaring a specific
course of study, being diligent in class attendance and
completion of assigned coursework, and completing courses and
maintaining academic progress toward an educational goal.
(EC � 78210-78219; 5 CCR � 55500-55534)
Proposed Law: This bill authorizes the CCCCO, in cooperation
with the DSS and others, to enter into agreements to provide
additional funds for services in support of foster youth. This
bill requires the BOG, in conjunction with the DSS, to adopt
guidelines for this program, and requires the BOG to be
responsible for the administration of the program funds.
This bill authorizes a CCD to apply to the BOG for funding to
administer this program, and requires the application to: a)
demonstrate that all existing resources have been exhausted; b)
provide the number of foster youth who will be served; c)
describe the extent of cooperation between the local county
child welfare department, DSS, the local EOPS, and the CCD.
To be eligible to participate in this program, a student must 1)
be a current or former foster youth in California whose
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dependency was established by the court on or after the youth's
16th birthday; and, 2) be no older than 25 years of age at the
beginning of the academic year of participation.
Support services must include, but are not limited to: a) Child
care and transportation allowances; b) allowances for books and
supplies; c) counseling and mental health services; d) career
counseling; e) matriculation and transfer counseling; f)
monitoring of academic progress; g) tutoring and mentoring; h)
independent living skills support; i) housing assistance; j)
frequent in-person contact; and, k) other related services.
This bill requires the BOG, beginning January 31, 2017, and
biennially thereafter, to submit a report to the Governor, the
education policy committees of the Legislature, and California
Child Welfare Council describing its efforts to serve students
who are current and former foster youth, as specified.
This bill provides that it is to become operative in a fiscal
year only if the BOG certifies by resolution that sufficient
funds have been appropriated for that fiscal year.
Staff Comments: The purpose of this bill is to provide
significant additional resources, including monetary resources,
directly to a subset of foster youth and former foster youth who
are CCC students. The bill creates a new campus support program
within EOPS specifically for students who were: a) in foster
care on or after their 16th birthdays; b) are under the age of
26; and, c) are enrolled in at least 9 units.
There are approximately 13,000 self-identified foster youth and
former foster youth enrolled in CCC courses statewide. The
number of those who would meet the additional requirements to be
eligible for services is unknown, but it is likely to be far
fewer than half. The 2013-14 base funding level for EOPS
services is $859 per student, and the support envisioned in this
bill is considerably more extensive. If 6,500 students were to
receive additional services and allowances costing 1.5 to 2
times the amount of EOPS services, it would cost $8 million -
$11 million annually.
Staff recommends a technical amendment to replace references to
"County Probation Officers Association" with "Chief Probation
Officers of California," throughout the bill.
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