AB 3015: Public postsecondary education: exemption from nonresident tuition and fees: federally recognized Indian tribes.

Existing law requires each student to be classified as a resident or nonresident at the University of California, the California State University, or the California Maritime Academy, or at a California community college. Existing law requires a student classified as a nonresident to pay nonresident tuition, in addition to other fees required by the institution, except as provided. Existing law entitles a student to resident classification only for the purpose of determining tuition and fees if the student is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States stationed in the state, except as provided.

This bill would entitle a student to resident classification only for the purpose of determining tuition and fees if the student is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe, as defined, whose tribal land lies across the state border of California and Arizona, Nevada, or Oregon, and the student has a residence in the bordering state. If the Regents of the University of California, the Trustees of the California State University, or the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges enter into an interstate tuition and fee agreement between (1) a respective campus that enrolls students who meet the criteria for resident classification and (2) an out-of-state regionally accredited public postsecondary institution located in the bordering state where those enrolled students reside, the bill would require those agreements to provide for reciprocal benefits for students whose tribal land lies across the state border of California and Arizona, Nevada, or Oregon, but whose residence is in California, as provided. To the extent the bill would require community college districts to exempt more students from nonresident tuition, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.