BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                            



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                                 UNFINISHED BUSINESS


          Bill No:  SB 1210
          Author:   Lara (D), et al
          Amended:  8/18/14
          Vote:     21


           SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE  :  5-0, 4/9/14
          AYES:  Block, Correa, Galgiani, Hancock, Monning
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Liu, Wyland, Hueso, Huff

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  5-2, 5/23/14
          AYES:  De Le�n, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
          NOES:  Walters, Gaines

           SENATE FLOOR  :  26-11, 5/28/14
          AYES:  Beall, Block, Cannella, Corbett, Correa, De Le�n,  
            DeSaulnier, Evans, Galgiani, Hancock, Hernandez, Hill, Hueso,  
            Jackson, Lara, Leno, Lieu, Liu, Mitchell, Monning, Padilla,  
            Pavley, Roth, Steinberg, Torres, Wolk
          NOES:  Anderson, Berryhill, Fuller, Gaines, Huff, Knight,  
            Morrell, Nielsen, Vidak, Walters, Wyland
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Calderon, Wright, Yee

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  55-20, 8/25/14 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    California DREAM Loan Program

           SOURCE  :     California State Student Association
                      California State University
                      University of California
                      University of California Student Association

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           DIGEST  :    This bill establishes the California DREAM Loan  
          Program (CDLP) for purposes of extending loans to students who  
          meet the requirements established by AB 540 (Firebaugh, Chapter  
          814, Statutes of 2001) and have financial need, and authorizes  
          any campus of the University of California (UC) and the  
          California State University (CSU) to participate, as specified.   
          This bill also declares the Legislature's intent that funds be  
          appropriated to participating institutions annually for the  
          CDLP; requires that participating institutions annually  
          contribute discretionary funds as specified, in their CDLP  
          revolving fund; and entitles each participating institution to  
          an administrative cost allowance equal to 5% of the loan funds  
          it awards each year.

           Assembly Amendments  provide that participating institutions  
          shall make CDLP repayment revenue available to offset state and  
          institutional contributions to the CDLP so that the respective  
          annual costs to the state and to participating institutions  
          shall be reduced equally; and provide that the institution's  
          share of CDLP repayments equals or exceeds 50% of all funds,  
          instead of an increasing percentage, in the institution's CDLP  
          revolving fund for each year of an institution's participation.

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law provides that, beginning January 1,  
          2013, AB 540 students are eligible to apply for, and participate  
          in, any student financial aid program administered by the State  
          of California to the full extent permitted by federal law.  The  
          California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) is required to  
          establish procedures and forms that enable AB 540 students to  
          apply for, and participate in, all student financial aid  
          programs administered by the State of California to the full  
          extent permitted by federal law.  Existing law prohibits        
          AB 540 students from being eligible for Competitive Cal Grant A  
          and B Awards, unless specified conditions are met.

          Existing law provides that a student attending CSU, the  
          California Community Colleges (CCCs), or UC who is exempt from  
          paying nonresident tuition under the provisions of AB 540 is  
          eligible to receive a scholarship derived from nonstate funds  
          received, for the purpose of scholarships, by the segment at  
          which he/she is a student.

          Existing law requires the Trustees of the CSU and the Board of  

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          Governors of the CCC, and request the UC Regents, to establish  
          procedures and forms that enable AB 540 students to apply for,  
          and participate in, all student aid programs administered by  
          these segments to the full extent permitted by federal law.

          This bill:

          1.Establishes the CDLP, a voluntary campus-based student loan  
            program to provide loans to UC and CSU students, who meet  
            specified requirements, beginning in the 2015-16 academic  
            year.

          2.Establishes the following requirements for student  
            participation in the CDLP:

             A.   Requires that the student be exempt from paying  
               nonresident tuition under the provisions established by AB  
               540.

             B.   Requires that the student has applied for financial aid  
               using the CSAC developed CDLP Application.

             C.   Requires that the student be enrolled at least half-time  
               in good standing in an instructional program at a  
               participating institution.

             D.   Requires that the student be determined to have  
               financial need by the participating institution, maintain  
               satisfactory academic progress, not be incarcerated, and  
               not be in default on federal, state or other student loans  
               issued by the UC or the CSU.

             E.   Requires that the student be enrolled in a CDLP eligible  
               to participate in the Cal Grant program.

          1.Establishes a certification process for determining that the  
            requirements outlined in #2 are met.  Specifically it:

             A.   Requires that CSAC or the participating institutions  
               require that the student affirm in writing that they meet  
               these requirements.

             B.   Requires a student seeking an award to authorize CSAC to  
               access any information pertinent to certifying that the  

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               student meets these requirements.

             C.   Requires CSAC, in collaboration with the participating  
               institution to certify that the student satisfies these  
               requirements prior to a participating institution issuing  
               an award to a student.

          1.Establishes the responsibilities of a UC or CSU campus  
            (participating institution) that chooses to participate in the  
            CDLP.  Specifically, a participating institution is required  
            to:

             A.   Determine a student's eligibility for a loan.

             B.   Award loan funds to students.

             C.   Provide entrance and exit loan counseling comparable to  
               that required by federal student loan programs.

             D.   Service the loans, collect loan repayments and perform  
               all due diligence required by the Fair Credit Reporting  
               Act.

             E.   Establish mechanisms for recording annual and aggregate  
               amounts borrowed, in order to ensure compliance with the  
               borrowing limits established for the program.

          1.Establishes the features of the CDLP.  Specifically it:

             A.   Prohibits the loan amount from exceeding the student's  
               financial need.

             B.   Caps the annual amount of a loan at $4,000 and the  
               aggregate amount from the program at a single institution  
               at $20,000.

             C.   Requires the interest rate for loans under the CDLP be  
               the same as the then-current interest rate for  
               undergraduate loans under the William D. Ford Federal  
               Direct Loan Program.

             D.   Sets the repayment term at 10 years, to begin six months  
               after a student graduates or ceases to maintain at least  
               half-time enrollment in a degree or DREAM certificate  

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               program.

             E.   Prohibits the accrual of interest on the loan while a  
               student is enrolled at least half-time in a degree or  
               certificate program or during the six months.

             F.   Requires the participating institution to determine  
               eligibility for deferment or forbearance in accordance with  
               the standards of the Federal Direct Loan Program. 

             G.   Requires the use of a promissory note approved by the  
               Treasurer, to be issued into the CDLP.
          Provides for the funding of the CDLP.  Specifically it:

             A.   Declares the Legislature's intent that budget act  
               funding for the purposes of the CDLP be appropriated  
               annually to participating institutions.

             B.   Requires that the Budget Act allocate funding based upon  
               the number of eligible students attending the institution  
               who applied for student financial aid the prior academic  
               year.

             C.   Requires each participating institution to deposit  
               appropriated funds into a CDLP revolving fund established  
               by each institution for the purposes of awarding loans and  
               revolving loan repayments.

             D.   Requires that participating institutions shall make  
               DREAM loan repayment revenue available to offset state and  
               institutional contributions to the DREAM loan program so  
               that, as much as practicable, the respective annual costs  
               to the state and to participating institutions shall be  
               reduced equally.

             E.   Provides that at the start of each academic year, before  
               CDLPs for that academic year are awarded, each  
               participating institution shall contribute discretionary  
               funds into its CDLP revolving fund so that the  
               institution's contribution of funds equals or exceeds 50%  
               of all the institution's CDLP revolving fund.

             F.   Requires that an institution that terminates  
               participation in the CDLP, continue to service the CDLP,  

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               collect CDLP repayments, and perform all due diligence  
               required by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act until the  
               last students at that institution issued loans under the  
               CDLP prior to the institution terminating its participation  
               have repaid their loans, as specified.

             G.   Requires that the UC and CSU annually report the dollar  
               amount of each CDLP awarded and the number of students  
               awarded a CDLP, as specified.

          1.Requires the CSU Trustees and the UC Regents to adopt  
            regulations providing for the withholding of institutional  
            services from students or former students who have been  
            notified in writing at the student's or former student's last  
            known address that he/she is in default on a loan or loans  
            under the CDLP, as specified.

          2.Entitles each participating institution to an annual  
            administrative cost allowance, to offset costs of  
            administering the CDLP, equal to 5% of the institution's total  
            CDLP funds awarded each year, and requires that the  
            institution be responsible for administrative costs in excess  
            of the allowance.

          3.Provides for immunity to the UC and the CSU from the awarding  
            of any monetary damages, loans, or other retroactive relief in  
            the event of any lawsuits as a result of implementing the  
            student CDLP.

          4.Defines various terms for purposes of the bill.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

          According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:

          1.UC:  Based on current and projected enrollment of AB 540  
            students, and an assumption that half would borrow, UC  
            estimates about 1,500 borrowers in the first year, growing to  
            about 1,800 borrowers by the fourth year and thereafter.   
            Based on the program's 50/50 cost-sharing parameters, and not  
            counting loan repayments, General Fund and UC costs would each  
            be $3.2 million in 2015-16 and $3.6 million annually  
            thereafter.

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          2.CSU:  Based on its AB 540 population and program participation  
            assumptions, General Fund and CSU costs would each be $1.5  
            million annually.

          3.Administrative costs for UC and CSU will be covered by the 5%  
            of program revenues allowed in the bill. 

          SUPPORT  :   (Verified  8/26/14)

          California State Student Association (co-source)
          California State University (co-source)
          University of California (co-source)
          University of California Student Association (co-source)
          American Civil Liberties Union of California
          California Dream Network
          California Immigrant Policy Center
          Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
          Equality California
          National Council of La Raza
          Parent Institute for Quality Education


           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    According to the author, the state has  
          demonstrated a willingness to invest in undocumented students by  
          enabling them to pay in-state tuition at the state's public  
          higher education institutions, and qualifying them for Cal  
          Grants and institutional aid.  However, these undocumented  
          students, while eligible for state aid, are still unable to  
          access federal student loans.  As a result, they have a "gap" in  
          their financial aid packages of $3,000-$6,000 annually.  Unless  
          these students fill the gap that exists beyond the student  
          contribution already required of them by working additional  
          hours for pay, taking extraordinary steps to reduce their  
          expenses, or finding other outside resources, they risk having  
          to withdraw from college.  According to the UC, because they  
          already administer campus based federal student loans, the CDLP  
          could be administered at the campuses at minimal additional  
          cost.

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  55-20, 8/25/14
          AYES:  Alejo, Ammiano, Bloom, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta,  
            Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Ch�vez,  
            Chesbro, Cooley, Dababneh, Daly, Dickinson, Eggman, Fong,  

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            Frazier, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Hall,  
            Roger Hern�ndez, Holden, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Lowenthal,  
            Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Pan, Perea, John A.  
            P�rez, V. Manuel P�rez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon,  
            Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Weber,  
            Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, Atkins
          NOES:  Allen, Bigelow, Conway, Dahle, Donnelly, Fox, Beth  
            Gaines, Grove, Hagman, Harkey, Jones, Logue, Maienschein,  
            Mansoor, Melendez, Nestande, Patterson, Wagner, Waldron, Wilk
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Achadjian, Gorell, Linder, Olsen, Vacancy


          PQ:e  8/26/14   Senate Floor Analyses 

                           SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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