Bill Text: CA AB1976 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Student financial aid: Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2014-09-27 - Vetoed by Governor. [AB1976 Detail]
Download: California-2013-AB1976-Enrolled.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 1976 ENROLLED
BILL TEXT
PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 21, 2014
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 29, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 23, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 3, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Quirk-Silva
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Fong, Skinner, Ting, and Wieckowski)
FEBRUARY 19, 2014
An act to amend Section 69437 of the Education Code, relating to
student financial aid.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1976, Quirk-Silva. Student financial aid: Competitive Cal Grant
A and B awards.
Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant
Program, establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards, the
California Community College Transfer Cal Grant 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 limits the number of Competitive Cal Grant
A and B awards that may be granted in an academic year to 22,500.
This bill would require the commission to calculate a target for
awards to be paid in an award year as specified, estimate a take rate
for awards by dividing the total number of awards paid by the total
number of offers made during the 3 award years immediately preceding
that award year, and estimate the number of award offers that the
commission may make to achieve the target for awards to be paid, as
specified. The bill would also authorize the commission to exceed the
22,500 award limit in an academic year when the number of
acceptances exceeds 22,500, under specified conditions.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
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 B award program for students who did not receive a
Cal Grant A or 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) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (5) and (6), a total of
22,500 Cal Grant A and 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).
(2) 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.
(3) 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.
(4) 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 22,500
awards.
(5) (A) In granting awards under this article for the 2015-16
award year, the commission shall do all of the following:
(i) Establish a target of 22,500 awards to be paid.
(ii) Estimate the take rate for awards by dividing the total
number of awards paid by the total number of offers made during the
three award years immediately preceding the 2015-16 award year.
(iii) Estimate the number of award offers that the commission may
make to achieve the target for awards paid by dividing 22,500 by the
take rate estimated pursuant to clause (ii).
(B) In granting awards under this article for the 2016-17 award
year and subsequent award years, the commission shall do all of the
following:
(i) Calculate a target for awards to be paid by subtracting the
number of awards paid in the previous award year from the target for
awards paid in the previous award year and adding the result to
22,500.
(ii) Estimate the take rate for awards by dividing the total
number of awards paid by the total number of offers made during the
three award years immediately preceding that award year.
(iii) Estimate the number of award offers that the commission may
make to achieve the target for awards paid calculated pursuant to
clause (i) by dividing the target by the take rate estimated pursuant
to clause (ii).
(6) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, the
commission may exceed the 22,500 award limit in an academic year when
the number of acceptances exceeds 22,500, provided that, in the
2016-17 award year and subsequent award years, the commission grants
awards in accordance with subparagraph (B) of paragraph (5).
(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 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 each of the
following:
(A) Students who graduated from high school or its equivalent
prior to the 2000-01 academic year. This subparagraph shall not be
applicable after the 2004-05 academic year.
(B) Students pursuing Cal Grant B awards who reestablish their
grade point averages.
(C) 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.
