Bill Text: CA AB1961 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Student financial aid: Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcel los Cal Grant Program: private nonprofit postsecondary educational institutions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From committee without further action. [AB1961 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB1961-Amended.html

---

BILL NUMBER: AB 1961	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 17, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Baker

                        FEBRUARY 12, 2016

   An act to amend Section  69437   69432 
of the Education Code, relating to student financial aid.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1961, as amended, Baker. Student financial aid:
Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant  Program.
  Program: private nonprofit postsecondary educational
institutions. 
   Existing law, known as the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos
Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A and B entitlement
awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement awards,
the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C awards,
and the Cal Grant T awards under the administration of the Student
Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards
under these programs for participating students attending qualifying
institutions. 
   This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.
 
   Existing law establishes the maximum tuition award amount for each
Cal Grant A and B award for new recipient students attending private
nonprofit postsecondary educational institutions at $9,084 for the
2015-16 and 2016-17 award years and $8,056 for the 2017-18 award year
and each award year thereafter. Existing law also establishes these
amounts as the maximum tuition award amounts for new recipients
attending private for-profit postsecondary educational institutions
that are accredited, as specified.  
   This bill would instead increase the maximum tuition award amount
for Cal Grant A and B awards for new recipients at private nonprofit
postsecondary educational institutions to no less than $10,000 for
the 2017-18 award year and each award year thereafter. For these
award years, the maximum tuition award amounts would remain at $8,056
for new recipients attending accredited private for-profit
postsecondary educational institutions as referred to above. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 69432 of the  
Education Code   is amended to read: 
   69432.  (a) Cal Grant Program awards shall be known as "Cal Grant
A Entitlement Awards," "Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards," "California
Community College Transfer Entitlement Awards," "Competitive Cal
Grant A and B Awards," "Cal Grant C Awards," and "Cal Grant T Awards."

   (b) Maximum award amounts for students at independent institutions
and for Cal Grant C and T awards shall be identified in the annual
Budget Act. Maximum award amounts for Cal Grant A and B awards for
students attending public institutions shall be referenced in the
annual Budget Act.
   (c) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), and subdivision (c) of
Section 66021.2, commencing with the 2013-14 award year, the maximum
tuition award amounts for Cal Grant A and B awards for students
attending private for-profit and nonprofit postsecondary educational
institutions shall be as follows:
   (A) Four thousand dollars ($4,000) for new recipients attending
private for-profit postsecondary educational institutions.
   (B) For the 2015-16 and 2016-17 award years, nine thousand
eighty-four dollars ($9,084) for new recipients attending private
nonprofit postsecondary educational institutions. For the 2017-18
award year and each award year thereafter,  eight thousand
fifty-six dollars ($8,056)   no less than ten thousand
dollars ($10,000)  for new recipients attending private
nonprofit postsecondary educational institutions.
   (2) The renewal award amount for a student whose initial award is
subject to a maximum award amount specified in this subdivision shall
be calculated pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of
Section 69433.
   (3) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1),  for
the 2017-18 award year and each award year thereafter, the maximum
tuition awa   rd amounts for  new recipients attending
private for-profit postsecondary educational institutions that are
accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges as of
July 1, 2012, shall  have the same maximum tuition award
amounts as are set forth in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1).
  be eight thousand fifty-six dollars ($8,056). 

  SECTION 1.    Section 69437 of the Education Code
is amended to read:
   69437.  (a) Commencing with the 2001-02 academic year, and each
academic year thereafter, there shall be established the Competitive
Cal Grant A and Cal Grant B award program for students who did not
receive a Cal Grant A or Cal Grant B entitlement award pursuant to
Article 2 (commencing with Section 69434), Article 3 (commencing with
Section 69435), or Article 4 (commencing with Section 69436). Awards
made under this section are not entitlements. The submission of an
application by a student under this section shall not entitle that
student to an award. The selection of students under this article
shall be determined pursuant to subdivision (c) and other relevant
criteria established by the commission.
   (b)  Commencing with the 2015-16 academic year, a total of 25,750
Cal Grant A and Cal Grant B awards shall be granted annually under
this article on a competitive basis for applicants who meet the
general eligibility criteria established in Article 1 (commencing
with Section 69430) and the priorities established by the commission
pursuant to subdivision (c).
   (1) Fifty percent of the awards referenced in this subdivision are
available to all students, including California community college
students, who meet the financial need and academic requirements
established pursuant to this article. A student enrolling at a
qualifying baccalaureate degree granting institution shall apply by
the March 2 deadline. A California community college student is
eligible to apply at the March 2 or the September 2 deadline.
   (2) Fifty percent of the awards referenced in this subdivision are
reserved for students who will be enrolled at a California community
college. The commission shall establish a second application
deadline of September 2 for community college students to apply for
these awards effective with the fall term or semester of the 2001-02
academic year.
   (3) If any awards are not distributed pursuant to paragraphs (1)
and (2) upon initial allocation of the awards under this article, the
commission shall make awards to as many eligible students as
possible, beginning with the students with the lowest expected family
contribution and highest academic merit, consistent with the
criteria adopted by the commission pursuant to subdivision (c), as
practicable without exceeding an annual cumulative total of 25,750
awards.
   (c) (1) On or before February 1, 2001, acting pursuant to a public
hearing process that is consistent with the Bagley-Keene Open
Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1
of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the
commission shall establish selection criteria for Cal Grant A and Cal
Grant B awards under the competitive program that give special
consideration to disadvantaged students, taking into consideration
those financial, educational, cultural, language, home, community,
environmental, and other conditions that hamper a student's access
to, and ability to persist in, postsecondary education programs.
   (2) Additional consideration shall be given to both of the
following:
   (A) Students pursuing Cal Grant B awards who reestablish their
grade point averages.
   (B) Students who did not receive awards pursuant to Article 2
(commencing with Section 69434), Article 3 (commencing with Section
69435), or Article 4 (commencing with Section 69436).
   (d) All other students who meet the eligibility requirements
pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 69430) are eligible to
compete for an award pursuant to this article.