Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. Existing law requires the commission to appoint a director as the chief executive officer for the commission and authorizes the commission to employ other employees as it deems necessary to carry out its functions.

Existing law, the Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards, the Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Expanded 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 commission. Existing law also establishes the Middle Class Scholarship Program under the commission’s administration. Existing law establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. The eligibility requirements under these programs, as well as other financial aid programs administered by the commission, include meeting various application deadlines.

Existing law authorizes the commission to grant a postponement of an application deadline of up to 30 calendar days for any financial aid program administered by the commission, as specified. This authority applies if the commission receives a formal request to extend a deadline from a designated educational official and the commission finds that a qualifying event, as defined, has occurred that, in the judgment of the commission, has had an adverse effect on the ability of pupils or students within a school district, community college district, or an area or region within the state, such as a city or county, to successfully complete and submit their financial aid applications by the established application deadline. Existing law requires the formal request to extend a deadline to be submitted to the commission no later than 10 business days after the conclusion of the qualifying event.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would, as it relates to the Student Aid Commission’s authority to grant a postponement of an application deadline for specified financial aid programs pursuant to a formal request, instead grant that authority to the executive director, extend the 10-day timeline for submission of a formal request to 15 days, require a report to the commission on extension requests, and authorize the commission to automatically grant deadline extensions for certain qualifying events.