Amended  IN  Senate  March 05, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill No. 940

Introduced by Senator Beall
(Coauthor: Senator Newman)(Coauthors: Senators Newman and Portantino)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Acosta, Cooley, Gipson, Lackey, Maienschein, Reyes, Rodriguez, Rubio, Mark Stone, and Voepel)

January 29, 2018

An act to amend Sections 69433.6, 69434, and 69435.3 of the Education Code, relating to student financial aid.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 940, as amended, Beall. Student financial aid: Cal Grant Program: foster youth.
Existing law, 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. Existing law provides that any California resident is entitled to a Cal Grant A Entitlement award, and requires the commission or a qualifying institution, as provided, to allocate that award, if certain criteria are met, including that the student submit a complete financial aid application, submitted or postmarked no later than March 2 of the academic year of high school graduation or its equivalent for the award year immediately following the academic year of high school graduation or its equivalent, or no later than March 2 of the academic year following high school graduation or its equivalent for the 2nd award year following the year of high school graduation or its equivalent. Existing law provides that any California resident is entitled to a Cal Grant B Entitlement award, and requires the commission to allocate that award, if certain criteria are met, including that the student submit a complete financial aid application in accordance with those same deadlines.
This bill would provide alternative deadlines for submitting a complete financial aid application for a student who is a current or former foster youth, who is attending a qualifying institution that offers baccalaureate degrees or is attending a California community college, and has not yet reached 26 years of age as of July 1 of the initial award year.
Existing law authorizes the renewal of Cal Grant A awards and Cal Grant B awards for a total of the equivalent of 4 years of full-time attendance in an undergraduate program, provided that minimum financial need, as defined, continues to exist, subject to certain exceptions.
This bill would authorize the renewal of Cal Grant A awards and Cal Grant B awards, for a current or former foster youth, for a total of the equivalent of 8 years of full-time attendance in an undergraduate program, provided that minimum financial need continues to exist.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 69433.6 of the Education Code is amended to read:

69433.6.
 (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, Cal Grant A awards and Cal Grant B awards may be renewed for a total of the equivalent of four years of full-time attendance in an undergraduate program, provided that minimum financial need, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 69432.9, continues to exist. Commencing with the 2001–02 academic year, the total number of years of eligibility for grants pursuant to this section shall be based on the student’s educational level in his or her course of study as designated by the institution of attendance when the recipient initially receives payment for a grant.
(b) (1) Commencing with the 2014–15 academic year, a recipient who was determined to be ineligible for a renewal award in the 2012–13 or 2013–14 academic year because he or she exceeded the maximum household income or asset level established by subdivision (k) of Section 69432.7, or failed to meet the minimum need threshold established by paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 69432.9, shall be eligible to receive a renewal award if the recipient meets all program eligibility requirements for the program from which he or she was previously disqualified and the recipient has remaining renewal award eligibility. For purposes of determining a student’s remaining renewal award eligibility, an academic year during which a student was ineligible shall reduce his or her renewal award eligibility by one full-time equivalent year.
(2) Commencing with the 2015–16 academic year, a recipient who is determined to be ineligible for a renewal award because, during the immediately preceding academic year, he or she exceeded the maximum household income or asset level established by subdivision (k) of Section 69432.7, or failed to meet the minimum need threshold established by paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 69432.9, shall be eligible to receive a renewal award if the recipient meets all program eligibility requirements for the program from which he or she was previously disqualified and the recipient has remaining renewal award eligibility. For purposes of determining a student’s remaining renewal award eligibility, an academic year during which a student was ineligible shall reduce his or her renewal award eligibility by one full-time equivalent year.
(c) For a student enrolled in an institutionally prescribed five-year undergraduate program, Cal Grant A awards and Cal Grant B awards may be renewed for a total of five years of full-time attendance, provided that minimum financial need, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 69432.9, continues to exist.
(d) (1) A Cal Grant Program award recipient who has completed a baccalaureate degree, and who has been admitted to and is enrolled in a program of professional teacher preparation at an institution approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing is eligible for, but not entitled to, renewal of a Cal Grant Program award for an additional year of full-time attendance, if minimum financial need, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 69432.9, continues to exist.
(2) Payment for an additional year is limited to only those courses required for an initial teaching authorization. An award made under this subdivision may not be used for other courses.
(3) A student’s Cal Grant Program renewal eligibility shall not have lapsed more than 15 months before the payment of an award for purposes of this subdivision.
(e) (1) For a current or former foster youth, Cal Grant A awards and Cal Grant B awards may be renewed for a total of the equivalent of eight years of full-time attendance in an undergraduate program, provided that minimum financial need, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 69432.9, continues to exist.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “current or former foster youth” means a person whose dependency was established or continued by the court on or after the date on which the person reached 13 years of age.

SEC. 2.

 Section 69434 of the Education Code is amended to read:

69434.
 (a) A Cal Grant A award shall be used only for tuition or student fees, or both, in a for-credit instructional program with a length of not less than two academic years. Each student who meets the Cal Grant A qualifications as set forth in this article shall be guaranteed an award. The amount of any individual award is dependent on the cost of tuition or fees, or both, at the qualifying institution at which the student is enrolled. For each applicant, the award amount shall not exceed the amount of the calculated financial need.
(b) Pursuant to Section 66021.2, any California resident is entitled to a Cal Grant A award, and the commission, or a qualifying institution pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 69450), shall allocate that award, if all of the following criteria are met:
(1) (A) The student has submitted, pursuant to Section 69432.9, a complete financial aid application, submitted or postmarked no later than March 2 of the academic year of high school graduation or its equivalent for the award year immediately following the academic year of high school graduation or its equivalent, no later than March 2 of the academic year following high school graduation or its equivalent for the second award year following the year of high school graduation or its equivalent, or, if applicable to the student, pursuant to the following dates:
(i) No later than March 2 of the academic year immediately prior to the year for which funds would be applied, if the student is a current or former foster youth, is attending a qualifying institution that offers baccalaureate degrees, and has not yet reached 26 years of age as of July 1 of the initial award year.
(ii) No later than September 2 of the academic year for which funds would be applied, if the student is a current or former foster youth, is attending a California community college, and has not yet reached 26 years of age as of July 1 of the initial award year.
(B) For purposes of this section, “current or former foster youth” has the same meaning as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 69433.6.
(2) The student demonstrates financial need pursuant to Section 69433.
(3) The student attains a high school grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale.
(4) The student’s household has an income and asset level that does not exceed the level for Cal Grant A recipients set forth in Section 69432.7.
(5) The student is pursuing an undergraduate academic program of not less than two academic years that is offered by a qualifying institution.
(6) The student is enrolled at least part time.
(7) The student meets the general Cal Grant eligibility requirements set forth in Article 1 (commencing with Section 69430).
(8) The student graduated from high school or its equivalent during or after the 2000–01 academic year.
(c) (1) A student who meets the Cal Grant A Entitlement Program criteria specified in this article shall receive a Cal Grant A award for tuition or fees, or both, pursuant to Section 66021.2.
(2) A community college student participating in a baccalaureate degree program pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) of Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 who meets the Cal Grant A Entitlement Program criteria specified in this article shall receive a Cal Grant A award for upper division coursework fees pursuant to Section 66021.2.

SEC. 3.

 Section 69435.3 of the Education Code is amended to read:

69435.3.
 (a) Any California resident is entitled to receive a Cal Grant B award, and the commission shall allocate that award pursuant to Section 66021.2, if all of the following criteria are met:
(1) (A) The student has submitted, pursuant to Section 69432.9, a complete financial aid application, submitted or postmarked no later than March 2 of the academic year of high school graduation or its equivalent for the award year immediately following the academic year of high school graduation or its equivalent, no later than March 2 of the academic year following high school graduation or its equivalent for the second award year following the year of high school graduation or its equivalent, or, if applicable to the student, pursuant to the following dates:
(i) No later than March 2 of the academic year immediately prior to the year for which funds would be applied, if the student is a current or former foster youth, is attending a qualifying institution that offers baccalaureate degrees, and has not yet reached 26 years of age as of July 1 of the initial award year.
(ii) No later than September 2 of the academic year for which funds would be applied, if the student is a current or former foster youth, is attending a California community college, and has not yet reached 26 years of age as of July 1 of the initial award year.
(B) For purposes of this section, “current or former foster youth” has the same meaning as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 69433.6.
(2) The student demonstrates financial need pursuant to Section 69433.
(3) The student attains a high school grade point average of at least 2.0 on a four-point scale.
(4) The student’s household has an income and asset level that does not exceed the level for Cal Grant B recipients as set forth in Section 69432.7.
(5) The student is pursuing an undergraduate academic program of not less than one academic year that is offered by a qualifying institution.
(6) The student is enrolled at least part time.
(7) The student meets the general Cal Grant eligibility requirements set forth in Article 1 (commencing with Section 69430).
(8) The student graduated from high school or its equivalent during or after the 2000–01 academic year.
(b) A student, including a community college student participating in upper division coursework in a baccalaureate degree program pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) of Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7, who meets the Cal Grant B Entitlement Program or Competitive Program criteria specified in this article shall receive a Cal Grant B award for access costs and tuition and fees, as applicable, pursuant to Section 66021.2.