AB 2456: Cal Grant Program: student eligibility: summer term.
- Session Year: 2021-2022
- House: Assembly
- Latest Version Date: 2022-04-20
Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program (Cal Grant Program), establishes the Cal Grant A and 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, and the Cal Grant T Awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements and maximum levels for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions, as defined. Existing law, for purposes of the Cal Grant Program, defines full time to mean 12 or more semester units or the equivalent and defines part time to mean 6 to 11 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent. Existing law prohibits the aggregate amount students may receive in a 4-year period under the Cal Grant Program from being increased as a result of accelerating progress to a degree by attending summer terms, sessions, or quarters.
For purposes of the Cal Grant Program, this bill would instead define, except for a community college student, part time to mean 12 to 29 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent taken in an award year when 6 or more semester units or the equivalent are taken each semester or the equivalent. The bill would define, except for a community college student, full time to mean 12 or more semester units or the equivalent taken in a semester for initial Cal Grant eligibility until the start of the 202324 award year and for renewal of Cal Grant eligibility until the start of the 202627 award year. The bill would define, except for a community college student, full time to mean 30 or more semester units or the equivalent taken in an academic year for initial Cal Grant eligibility commencing with the start of the 202324 award year, for subsequent renewals of that eligibility for the 202425 and 202526 award years, and for all renewals of Cal Grant eligibility commencing with the start of the 202627 award year. The bill would specify that, for purposes of meeting the 30 or more semester units or the equivalent requirement, units taken during the summer term may be included. The
This bill would delete the provision that prohibits increasing the aggregate amount students may receive under the Cal Grant Program as a result of accelerating progress to a degree by attending summer terms, sessions, or quarters. The bill would require that a student that accelerates colleges attendance and receives an award for coursework taken during a summer term, session, or quarter be enrolled in 30 or more semester units, or the equivalent, in that academic year. The bill would specify, that for purposes of meeting the 30 or more semester units or the equivalent requirement, units taken during a summer term, session, or quarter may be included.
Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program (Cal Grant Program), establishes the Cal Grant A and 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, and the Cal Grant T Awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements and maximum levels for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions, as defined. Existing law, for purposes of the Cal Grant Program, defines full time to mean 12 or more semester units or the equivalent and defines part time to mean 6 to 11 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent. Existing law prohibits the aggregate amount students may receive in a 4-year period from being increased as a result of accelerating progress to a degree by attending summer terms, sessions, or quarters.
For purposes of the Cal Grant Program, this bill would instead define, except for a community college student, part time to mean 12 to 29 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent taken in an award year when 6 or more semester units or the equivalent are taken each semester or the equivalent. The bill would define, except for a community college student, full time to mean 12 or more semester units or the equivalent taken in a semester for initial Cal Grant eligibility until the start of the 202324 award year and for renewal of Cal Grant eligibility until the start of the 202627 award year. The bill would define, except for a community college student, full time to mean 30 or more semester units or the equivalent taken in an academic year for initial Cal Grant eligibility commencing with the start of the 202324 award year, for subsequent renewals of that eligibility for the 202425 and 202526 award years, and for all renewals of Cal Grant eligibility commencing with the start of the 202627 award year. The bill would specify that, for purposes of meeting the 30 or more semester units or the equivalent requirement, units taken during the summer term may be included. The bill would delete the provision that prohibits increasing the aggregate amount students may receive as a result of accelerating progress to a degree by attending summer terms, sessions, or quarters.
Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program (Cal Grant Program), establishes the Cal Grant A and 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, and the Cal Grant T Awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements and maximum levels for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions, as defined. Existing law, for purposes of the Cal Grant Program, defines full time to mean 12 or more semester units or the equivalent and defines part time to mean 6 to 11 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent.
For purposes of the Cal Grant Program, this bill would instead define, except for a community college student, part time to mean 12 to 29 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent taken in an award year when 6 or more semester units or the equivalent are taken each semester or the equivalent. The bill would define, except for a community college student, full time to mean 12 or more semester units or the equivalent taken in a semester for initial Cal Grant eligibility until the start of the 202324 award year and for renewal of Cal Grant eligibility until the start of the 202627 award year. The bill would define, except for a community college student, full time to mean 30 or more semester units or the equivalent taken in an academic year for initial Cal Grant eligibility commencing with the start of the 202324 award year, for subsequent renewals of that eligibility for the 202425 and 202526 award years, and for all renewals of Cal Grant eligibility commencing with the start of the 202627 award year.
Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that public higher education strive to provide educationally equitable environments that give each Californian, regardless of age, economic circumstance, or certain specified characteristics, a reasonable opportunity to develop fully their potential.This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that statement of legislative intent.Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that public higher education strive to provide educationally equitable environments that give each Californian, regardless of age, economic circumstance, or certain specified characteristics, a reasonable opportunity to develop fully their potential.
This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that statement of legislative intent.
(a)Only a resident of California, as determined by the commission pursuant to Part 41 (commencing with Section 68000), is eligible for an initial Cal Grant award. The recipient shall remain eligible for award renewal only if they are a California resident, in attendance, and making satisfactory academic progress at a qualifying institution, as determined by the commission.
(b)A part-time student shall not be discriminated against in the selection of Cal Grant Program award recipients, and an award to a part-time student shall be approximately proportional to the time the student spends in the instructional program, as determined by the commission. A first-time Cal Grant Program award recipient who is a part-time student shall be eligible for a full-time renewal award if they become a full-time student.
(c)Cal Grant Program awards shall be awarded without regard to race, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or age.
(d)An applicant shall not receive more than one type of Cal Grant Program award concurrently. An applicant shall not:
(1)Receive one or a combination of Cal Grant Program awards in excess of the amount equivalent to the award level for a total of four years of full-time attendance in an undergraduate program, except as provided in Section 69433.6.
(2)Have obtained a baccalaureate degree before receiving a Cal Grant Program award.
(e)A Cal Grant Program award, except as provided in Section 69440, may only be used for educational expenses of a program of study leading directly to an undergraduate degree or certificate, or for expenses of undergraduate coursework in a program of study leading directly to a first professional degree, but for which no baccalaureate degree is awarded.
(f)(1)The commission shall, for students who accelerate college attendance, increase the amount of award proportional to the period of additional attendance resulting from attendance in classes that fulfill requirements or electives for graduation during summer terms, sessions, or quarters.
(2)For purposes of this subdivision, students who accelerate college attendance, and receive an award for coursework taken during a summer term, session, or quarter, shall be enrolled in 30 or more semester units, or the equivalent, in that academic year.
(3)Units taken during a summer term, session, or quarter for which aid was disbursed pursuant to paragraph (1) may be included for purposes of meeting the unit requirement of paragraph (2).
(g)The commission shall notify Cal Grant award recipients of the availability of funding for the summer term, session, or quarter through prominent notice in financial aid award letters, materials, guides, electronic information, and other means that may include, but not necessarily be limited to, surveys, newspaper articles, or attachments to communications from the commission and any other published documents.
(h)The commission may require, by the adoption of rules and regulations, the production of reports, accounting, documents, or other necessary statements from the award recipient and the college or university of attendance pertaining to the use or application of the award.
(i)A Cal Grant Program award may be used only at a qualifying institution.
(j)A recipient who initially qualified for both a Cal Grant A award and a Cal Grant B award, and received a Cal Grant B award, may be awarded a renewal Cal Grant A award if that recipient subsequently became ineligible for a renewal Cal Grant B award and meets the applicable Cal Grant A financial need and income and asset criteria.
As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
(a)An academic year is July 1 to June 30, inclusive. The starting date of a session shall determine the academic year in which it is included.
(b)Access costs means living expenses and expenses for transportation, supplies, technology, and books.
(c)Award year means one academic year, or the equivalent, of attendance at a qualifying institution.
(d)College grade point average and community college grade point average mean a grade point average calculated on the basis of all college work completed, except for nontransferable units and courses not counted in the computation for admission to a California public institution of higher education that grants a baccalaureate degree.
(e)Commission means the Student Aid Commission.
(f)Enrollment status means part- or full-time status.
(1)Part time, for purposes of determining Cal Grant eligibility, means 12 to 29 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent, taken in an award year, when 6 or more semester units or the equivalent are taken each semester or the equivalent.
(2)Full time, for purposes of determining Cal Grant eligibility, means the following:
(A)12 or more semester units or the equivalent taken in a semester or the equivalent for purposes of determining the following:
(i)Initial Cal Grant eligibility until the start of the 202324 award year.
(ii)Renewal of Cal Grant eligibility until the start of the 202627 award year, except as provided in clause (ii) of subparagraph (B).
(B)30 or more semester units or the equivalent taken in an academic year for purposes of determining the following:
(i)Initial Cal Grant eligibility commencing with the start of the 202324 award year.
(ii)Renewal of Cal Grant eligibility described in clause (i) for the 202425 and 202526 award years.
(iii)All renewals of Cal Grant eligibility commencing with the start of the 202627 award year.
(C)Notwithstanding subdivision (f) of Section 69433.5, units taken during the summer term may be included for purposes of meeting the definition of full time pursuant to subparagraph (B).
(3)Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), for purposes of determining Cal Grant eligibility of a student attending a California community college, the following definitions of part time and full time apply:
(A)Part time means 6 to 11 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent, in a semester or the equivalent.
(B)Full time means 12 or more semester units units, or the equivalent, in a semester or the equivalent.
(g)Expected family contribution, with respect to an applicant, shall be determined using the federal methodology pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 69506 (as established by Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070 et seq.)) and applicable rules and regulations adopted by the commission.
(h)High school grade point average means a grade point average calculated on a 4.0 scale, using all academic coursework, for the sophomore year, the summer following the sophomore year, the junior year, and the summer following the junior year, excluding physical education, Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), and remedial courses, and computed pursuant to regulations of the commission. However, for high school graduates who apply after their senior year, high school grade point average includes senior year coursework.
(i)Instructional program of not less than one academic year means a program of study that results in the award of an associate or baccalaureate degree or certificate requiring at least 24 semester units or the equivalent, or that results in eligibility for transfer from a community college to a baccalaureate degree program.
(j)Instructional program of not less than two academic years means a program of study that results in the award of an associate or baccalaureate degree requiring at least 48 semester units or the equivalent, or that results in eligibility for transfer from a community college to a baccalaureate degree program.
(k)(1)Maximum household income and asset levels means the applicable household income and household asset levels for participants, including new applicants and renewing recipients, in the Cal Grant Program, as defined and adopted in regulations by the commission for the 200102 academic year, which shall be set pursuant to the following income and asset ceiling amounts:
CAL GRANT PROGRAM INCOME CEILINGS |
Cal Grant A, | Cal Grant B | |
Dependent and Independent students with dependents* | ||
Family Size | ||
Six or more | $74,100 | $40,700 |
Five | $68,700 | $37,700 |
Four | $64,100 | $33,700 |
Three | $59,000 | $30,300 |
Two | $57,600 | $26,900 |
| ||
Single, no dependents | $23,500 | $23,500 |
Married | $26,900 | $26,900 |
*Applies to independent students with
dependents other than a
spouse.
CAL GRANT PROGRAM ASSET CEILINGS |
Cal Grant A, | Cal Grant B | |
|
|
|
Independent | $23,600 | $23,600 |
**Applies to independent students with dependents other than a
spouse.
(2)The commission shall annually adjust the maximum household income and asset levels based on the percentage change in the cost of living within the meaning of paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) of Section 8 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution. The maximum household income and asset levels applicable to a renewing recipient shall be the greater of the adjusted maximum household income and asset levels or the maximum household income and asset levels at the time of the renewing recipients initial Cal Grant award. For a recipient who was initially awarded a Cal Grant for an academic year before the 201112 academic year, the maximum household income and asset levels shall be the greater of the adjusted maximum household income and asset levels or the 201011 academic year maximum household income and asset levels. An applicant or renewal recipient who qualifies to be considered under the simplified needs test established by federal law for student assistance shall be presumed to meet the asset level test under this section. Before disbursing any Cal Grant funds, a qualifying institution shall be obligated, under the terms of its institutional participation agreement with the commission, to resolve any conflicts that may exist in the data the institution possesses relating to that individual.
(l)(1)Qualifying institution means an institution that complies with paragraphs (2) and (3) and is any of the following:
(A)A California private or independent postsecondary educational institution that participates in the Federal Pell Grant Program and in at least two of the following federal student aid programs:
(i)Federal Work-Study Program.
(ii)Federal Stafford Loan Program.
(iii)Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program.
(B)A nonprofit institution headquartered and operating in California that certifies to the commission that 10 percent of the institutions operating budget, as demonstrated in an audited financial statement, is expended for purposes of institutionally funded student financial aid in the form of grants, that demonstrates to the commission that it has the administrative capacity to administer the funds, that is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and that meets any other state-required criteria adopted by regulation by the commission in consultation with the Department of Finance. A regionally accredited institution that was deemed qualified by the commission to participate in the Cal Grant Program for the 200001 academic year shall retain its eligibility as long as it maintains its existing accreditation status.
(C)A California public postsecondary educational institution.
(2)(A)The institution shall provide information on where to access California license examination passage rates for the most recent available year from graduates of its undergraduate programs leading to employment for which passage of a California licensing examination is required, if that data is electronically available through the internet website of a California licensing or regulatory agency. For purposes of this paragraph, provide may exclusively include placement of an internet website address labeled as an access point for the data on the passage rates of recent program graduates on the internet website where enrollment information is also located, on an internet website that provides centralized admissions information for postsecondary educational systems with multiple campuses, or on applications for enrollment or other program information distributed to prospective students.
(B)The institution shall be responsible for certifying to the commission compliance with the requirements of subparagraph (A).
(3)(A)The commission shall certify by November 1 of each year the institutions latest official three-year cohort default rate and graduation rate as most recently reported by the United States Department of Education. For purposes of this section, the graduation rate is the percentage of full-time, first-time degree or certificate-seeking undergraduate students who graduate in 150 percent or less of the expected time to complete degree requirements as most recently reported publicly in any format, including preliminary data records, by the United States Department of Education.
(B)For purposes of the 201112 academic year, an otherwise qualifying institution with a three-year cohort default rate reported by the United States Department of Education that is equal to or greater than 24.6 percent shall be ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution.
(C)For purposes of the 201213 academic year, and every academic year thereafter, an otherwise qualifying institution with a three-year cohort default rate that is equal to or greater than 15.5 percent, as certified by the commission on October 1, 2011, and every year thereafter, shall be ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution.
(D)(i)An otherwise qualifying institution that becomes ineligible under this paragraph for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards shall regain its eligibility for the academic year for which it satisfies the requirements established in subparagraph (B), (C), or (F), as applicable.
(ii)If the United States Department of Education corrects or revises an institutions three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate that originally failed to satisfy the requirements established in subparagraph (B), (C), or (F), as applicable, and the correction or revision results in the institutions three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate satisfying those requirements, that institution shall immediately regain its eligibility for the academic year to which the corrected or revised three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate would have been applied.
(E)An otherwise qualifying institution for which no three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate has been reported by the United States Department of Education shall be provisionally eligible to participate in the Cal Grant Program until a three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate has been reported for the institution by the United States Department of Education.
(F)For purposes of the 201213 academic year, and every academic year thereafter, an otherwise qualifying institution with a graduation rate of 30 percent or less, as certified by the commission pursuant to subparagraph (A), shall be ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution, except as provided for in subparagraph (H).
(G)Notwithstanding any other law, the requirements of this paragraph shall not apply to institutions with 40 percent or less of undergraduate students borrowing federal student loans, using information reported to the United States Department of Education for the academic year two years before the academic year in which the commission is certifying the three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate pursuant to subparagraph (A).
(H)Notwithstanding subparagraph (F), an otherwise qualifying institution that maintains a three-year cohort default rate that is less than 15.5 percent and a graduation rate above 20 percent for students taking 150 percent or less of the expected time to complete degree requirements, as certified by the commission pursuant to subparagraph (A), shall be eligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution through the 201617 academic year.
(I)The commission shall do all of the following:
(i)Notify initial Cal Grant recipients seeking to attend, or attending, an institution that is ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards under subparagraph (C) or (F) that the institution is ineligible for initial Cal Grant awards for the academic year for which the student received an initial Cal Grant award.
(ii)Notify renewal Cal Grant recipients attending an institution that is ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution under subparagraph (C) or (F) that the students Cal Grant award will be reduced by 20 percent, or eliminated, as appropriate, if the student attends the ineligible institution in an academic year in which the institution is ineligible.
(iii)Provide initial and renewal Cal Grant recipients seeking to attend, or attending, an institution that is ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution under subparagraph (C) or (F) with a complete list of all California postsecondary educational institutions at which the student would be eligible to receive an unreduced Cal Grant award.
(iv)(I)Establish an appeal process for an otherwise qualifying institution that fails to satisfy the three-year cohort default rate and graduation rate requirements in subparagraphs (C) and (F), respectively.
(II)The commission may grant an appeal for an academic year only if the commission has determined the institution has a cohort size of 20 individuals or less and the cohort is not representative of the overall institutional performance.
(m)Satisfactory academic progress means those criteria required by applicable federal standards published in Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The commission may adopt regulations defining satisfactory academic progress in a manner that is consistent with those federal standards. The regulations adopted by the commission under this subdivision shall, to the extent consistent with applicable federal standards, provide that homelessness, as defined as a homeless individual within the meaning of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11302(a)), or as defined as a homeless child or youth, as defined in subsection (2) of Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)), is an extenuating circumstance for students who are otherwise unable to meet the requirements deemed to constitute satisfactory academic progress at the institution they attend, and that extenuating circumstance may be considered by the institution to alter or excuse compliance with those progress requirements.
SEC. 2.Section 69433.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:69433.5.(a)Only a resident of California, as determined by the commission pursuant to Part 41 (commencing with Section 68000), is eligible for an initial Cal Grant award. The recipient shall remain eligible for award renewal only if he or she is they are a California resident, in attendance, and making satisfactory academic progress at a qualifying institution, as determined by the commission.
(b)A part-time student shall not be discriminated against in the selection of Cal Grant Program award recipients, and an award to a part-time student shall be approximately proportional to the time the student spends in the instructional program, as determined by the commission. A first-time Cal Grant Program award recipient who is a part-time student shall be eligible for a full-time renewal award if he or she becomes they become a full-time student.
(c)Cal Grant Program awards shall be awarded without regard to race, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or age.
(d)An applicant shall not receive more than one type of Cal Grant Program award concurrently. An applicant shall not:
(1)Receive one or a combination of Cal Grant Program awards in excess of the amount equivalent to the award level for a total of four years of full-time attendance in an undergraduate program, except as provided in Section 69433.6.
(2)Have obtained a baccalaureate degree before receiving a Cal Grant Program award.
(e)A Cal Grant Program award, except as provided in Section 69440, may only be used for educational expenses of a program of study leading directly to an undergraduate degree or certificate, or for expenses of undergraduate coursework in a program of study leading directly to a first professional degree, but for which no baccalaureate degree is awarded.
(f)The commission shall, for students who accelerate college attendance, increase the amount of award proportional to the period of additional attendance resulting from attendance in classes that fulfill requirements or electives for graduation during summer terms, sessions, or quarters. In the aggregate, the total amount a student may receive in a four-year period may not be increased as a result of accelerating his or her progress to a degree by attending summer terms, sessions, or quarters.
(g)The commission shall notify Cal Grant award recipients of the availability of funding for the summer term, session, or quarter through prominent notice in financial aid award letters, materials, guides, electronic information, and other means that may include, but not necessarily be limited to, surveys, newspaper articles, or attachments to communications from the commission and any other published documents.
(h)The commission may require, by the adoption of rules and regulations, the production of reports, accounting, documents, or other necessary statements from the award recipient and the college or university of attendance pertaining to the use or application of the award.
(i)A Cal Grant Program award may be utilized used only at a qualifying institution.
(j)A recipient who initially qualified for both a Cal Grant A award and a Cal Grant B award, and received a Cal Grant B award, may be awarded a renewal Cal Grant A award if that recipient subsequently became ineligible for a renewal Cal Grant B award and meets the applicable Cal Grant A financial need and income and asset criteria.
As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
(a)An academic year is July 1 to June 30, inclusive. The starting date of a session shall determine the academic year in which it is included.
(b)Access costs means living expenses and expenses for transportation, supplies, technology, and books.
(c)Award year means one academic year, or the equivalent, of attendance at a qualifying institution.
(d)College grade point average and community college grade point average mean a grade point average calculated on the basis of all college work completed, except for nontransferable units and courses not counted in the computation for admission to a California public institution of higher education that grants a baccalaureate degree.
(e)Commission means the Student Aid Commission.
(f)Enrollment status means part- or full-time status.
(1)Part time, for purposes of determining Cal Grant eligibility, means 6 to 11 12 to 29 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent. equivalent, taken in an award year, when 6 or more semester units or the equivalent are taken each semester or the equivalent.
(2)Full time, for purposes of determining Cal Grant eligibility, means 12 or more semester units or the equivalent. means the following:
(A)12 or more semester units or the equivalent taken in a semester or the equivalent for purposes of determining the following:
(i)Initial Cal Grant eligibility until the start of the 202324 award year.
(ii)Renewal of Cal Grant eligibility until the start of the 202627 award year, except as provided in clause (ii) of subparagraph (B).
(B)30 or more semester units or the equivalent taken in an academic year for purposes of determining the following:
(i)Initial Cal Grant eligibility commencing with the start of the 202324 award year.
(ii)Renewal of Cal Grant eligibility described in clause (i) for the 202425 and 202526 award years.
(iii)All renewals of Cal Grant eligibility commencing with the start of the 202627 award year.
(3)Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), for purposes of determining Cal Grant eligibility of a student attending a California community college, the following definitions of part time and full time apply:
(A)Part time means 6 to 11 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent, in a semester or the equivalent.
(B)Full time means 12 or more semester units or the equivalent, in a semester or the equivalent.
(g)Expected family contribution, with respect to an applicant, shall be determined using the federal methodology pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 69506 (as established by Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070 et seq.)) and applicable rules and regulations adopted by the commission.
(h)High school grade point average means a grade point average calculated on a 4.0 scale, using all academic coursework, for the sophomore year, the summer following the sophomore year, the junior year, and the summer following the junior year, excluding physical education, Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), and remedial courses, and computed pursuant to regulations of the commission. However, for high school graduates who apply after their senior year, high school grade point average includes senior year coursework.
(i)Instructional program of not less than one academic year means a program of study that results in the award of an associate or baccalaureate degree or certificate requiring at least 24 semester units or the equivalent, or that results in eligibility for transfer from a community college to a baccalaureate degree program.
(j)Instructional program of not less than two academic years means a program of study that results in the award of an associate or baccalaureate degree requiring at least 48 semester units or the equivalent, or that results in eligibility for transfer from a community college to a baccalaureate degree program.
(k)(1)Maximum household income and asset levels means the applicable household income and household asset levels for participants, including new applicants and renewing recipients, in the Cal Grant Program, as defined and adopted in regulations by the commission for the 200102 academic year, which shall be set pursuant to the following income and asset ceiling amounts:
CAL GRANT PROGRAM INCOME CEILINGS |
Cal Grant A, | Cal Grant B | |
Dependent and Independent students with dependents* | ||
Family Size | ||
Six or more | $74,100 | $40,700 |
Five | $68,700 | $37,700 |
Four | $64,100 | $33,700 |
Three | $59,000 | $30,300 |
Two | $57,600 | $26,900 |
| ||
Single, no dependents | $23,500 | $23,500 |
Married | $26,900 | $26,900 |
*Applies to independent students with dependents other than a
spouse.
CAL GRANT PROGRAM ASSET CEILINGS |
Cal Grant A, | Cal Grant B | |
|
|
|
Independent | $23,600 | $23,600 |
**Applies to independent students with dependents other than a
spouse.
(2)The commission shall annually adjust the maximum household income and asset levels based on the percentage change in the cost of living within the meaning of paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) of Section 8 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution. The maximum household income and asset levels applicable to a renewing recipient shall be the greater of the adjusted maximum household income and asset levels or the maximum household income and asset levels at the time of the renewing recipients initial Cal Grant award. For a recipient who was initially awarded a Cal Grant for an academic year before the 201112 academic year, the maximum household income and asset levels shall be the greater of the adjusted maximum household income and asset levels or the 201011 academic year maximum household income and asset levels. An applicant or renewal recipient who qualifies to be considered under the simplified needs test established by federal law for student assistance shall be presumed to meet the asset level test under this section. Before disbursing any Cal Grant funds, a qualifying institution shall be obligated, under the terms of its institutional participation agreement with the commission, to resolve any conflicts that may exist in the data the institution possesses relating to that individual.
(l)(1)Qualifying institution means an institution that complies with paragraphs (2) and (3) and is any of the following:
(A)A California private or independent postsecondary educational institution that participates in the Federal Pell Grant Program and in at least two of the following federal student aid programs:
(i)Federal Work-Study Program.
(ii)Federal Stafford Loan Program.
(iii)Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program.
(B)A nonprofit institution headquartered and operating in California that certifies to the commission that 10 percent of the institutions operating budget, as demonstrated in an audited financial statement, is expended for purposes of institutionally funded student financial aid in the form of grants, that demonstrates to the commission that it has the administrative capacity to administer the funds, that is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and that meets any other state-required criteria adopted by regulation by the commission in consultation with the Department of Finance. A regionally accredited institution that was deemed qualified by the commission to participate in the Cal Grant Program for the 200001 academic year shall retain its eligibility as long as it maintains its existing accreditation status.
(C)A California public postsecondary educational institution.
(2)(A)The institution shall provide information on where to access California license examination passage rates for the most recent available year from graduates of its undergraduate programs leading to employment for which passage of a California licensing examination is required, if that data is electronically available through the internet website of a California licensing or regulatory agency. For purposes of this paragraph, provide may exclusively include placement of an internet website address labeled as an access point for the data on the passage rates of recent program graduates on the internet website where enrollment information is also located, on an internet website that provides centralized admissions information for postsecondary educational systems with multiple campuses, or on applications for enrollment or other program information distributed to prospective students.
(B)The institution shall be responsible for certifying to the commission compliance with the requirements of subparagraph (A).
(3)(A)The commission shall certify by November 1 of each year the institutions latest official three-year cohort default rate and graduation rate as most recently reported by the United States Department of Education. For purposes of this section, the graduation rate is the percentage of full-time, first-time degree or certificate-seeking undergraduate students who graduate in 150 percent or less of the expected time to complete degree requirements as most recently reported publicly in any format, including preliminary data records, by the United States Department of Education.
(B)For purposes of the 201112 academic year, an otherwise qualifying institution with a three-year cohort default rate reported by the United States Department of Education that is equal to or greater than 24.6 percent shall be ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution.
(C)For purposes of the 201213 academic year, and every academic year thereafter, an otherwise qualifying institution with a three-year cohort default rate that is equal to or greater than 15.5 percent, as certified by the commission on October 1, 2011, and every year thereafter, shall be ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution.
(D)(i)An otherwise qualifying institution that becomes ineligible under this paragraph for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards shall regain its eligibility for the academic year for which it satisfies the requirements established in subparagraph (B), (C), or (F), as applicable.
(ii)If the United States Department of Education corrects or revises an institutions three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate that originally failed to satisfy the requirements established in subparagraph (B), (C), or (F), as applicable, and the correction or revision results in the institutions three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate satisfying those requirements, that institution shall immediately regain its eligibility for the academic year to which the corrected or revised three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate would have been applied.
(E)An otherwise qualifying institution for which no three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate has been reported by the United States Department of Education shall be provisionally eligible to participate in the Cal Grant Program until a three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate has been reported for the institution by the United States Department of Education.
(F)For purposes of the 201213 academic year, and every academic year thereafter, an otherwise qualifying institution with a graduation rate of 30 percent or less, as certified by the commission pursuant to subparagraph (A), shall be ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution, except as provided for in subparagraph (H).
(G)Notwithstanding any other law, the requirements of this paragraph shall not apply to institutions with 40 percent or less of undergraduate students borrowing federal student loans, using information reported to the United States Department of Education for the academic year two years before the academic year in which the commission is certifying the three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate pursuant to subparagraph (A).
(H)Notwithstanding subparagraph (F), an otherwise qualifying institution that maintains a three-year cohort default rate that is less than 15.5 percent and a graduation rate above 20 percent for students taking 150 percent or less of the expected time to complete degree requirements, as certified by the commission pursuant to subparagraph (A), shall be eligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution through the 201617 academic year.
(I)The commission shall do all of the following:
(i)Notify initial Cal Grant recipients seeking to attend, or attending, an institution that is ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards under subparagraph (C) or (F) that the institution is ineligible for initial Cal Grant awards for the academic year for which the student received an initial Cal Grant award.
(ii)Notify renewal Cal Grant recipients attending an institution that is ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution under subparagraph (C) or (F) that the students Cal Grant award will be reduced by 20 percent, or eliminated, as appropriate, if the student attends the ineligible institution in an academic year in which the institution is ineligible.
(iii)Provide initial and renewal Cal Grant recipients seeking to attend, or attending, an institution that is ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution under subparagraph (C) or (F) with a complete list of all California postsecondary educational institutions at which the student would be eligible to receive an unreduced Cal Grant award.
(iv)(I)Establish an appeal process for an otherwise qualifying institution that fails to satisfy the three-year cohort default rate and graduation rate requirements in subparagraphs (C) and (F), respectively.
(II)The commission may grant an appeal for an academic year only if the commission has determined the institution has a cohort size of 20 individuals or less and the cohort is not representative of the overall institutional performance.
(m)Satisfactory academic progress means those criteria required by applicable federal standards published in Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The commission may adopt regulations defining satisfactory academic progress in a manner that is consistent with those federal standards. The regulations adopted by the commission under this subdivision shall, to the extent consistent with applicable federal standards, provide that homelessness, as defined as a homeless individual within the meaning of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11302(a)), or as defined as a homeless child or youth, as defined in subsection (2) of Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)), is an extenuating circumstance for students who are otherwise unable to meet the requirements deemed to constitute satisfactory academic progress at the institution they attend, and that extenuating circumstance may be considered by the institution to alter or excuse compliance with those progress requirements.
SECTION 1.Section 66030 of the Education Code is amended to read:66030.(a)It is the intent of the Legislature that public higher education in California strive to provide educationally equitable environments that give each Californian, regardless of age, economic circumstance, or the characteristics listed in Section 66270, a reasonable opportunity to develop fully their potential.(b)It is the responsibility of the governing boards of institutions of higher education to ensure and maintain multicultural learning environments free from all forms of discrimination and harassment, in accordance with state and federal law.(a)It is the intent of the Legislature that public higher education in California strive to provide educationally equitable environments that give each Californian, regardless of age, economic circumstance, or the characteristics listed in Section 66270, a reasonable opportunity to develop fully his or her their potential.
(b)It is the responsibility of the governing boards of institutions of higher education to ensure and maintain multicultural learning environments free from all forms of discrimination and harassment, in accordance with state and federal law.
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Date
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Status
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|---|---|
| May 19, 2022 | In committee: Held under submission. |
| May 19, 2022 | Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 4736.) |
| May 18, 2022 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file. |
| Apr 27, 2022 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (April 26). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Apr 21, 2022 | Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED. |
| Apr 20, 2022 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. Read second time and amended. |
| Apr 19, 2022 | Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED. |
| Apr 18, 2022 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. Read second time and amended. |
| Mar 28, 2022 | Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED. |
| Mar 24, 2022 | Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED. |
| Feb 18, 2022 | From printer. May be heard in committee March 20. |
| Feb 17, 2022 | Read first time. To print. |
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