Bill Text: CA AB2 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Bill 2 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Community colleges: California College Promise.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-10-04 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 509, Statutes of 2019. [AB2 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB2-Chaptered.html

Assembly Bill No. 2

CHAPTER 509

An act to amend Section 76396.3 of the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.

[ Approved by Governor October 04, 2019. Filed with Secretary of State October 04, 2019. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2, Santiago. Community colleges: California College Promise.

Existing law establishes the California College Promise, under the administration of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to provide funding, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to each community college meeting prescribed requirements. Existing law authorizes a community college to use that funding to accomplish specified policy goals and to waive some or all of the fees for 2 academic years for certain first-time students who are enrolled in 12 or more semester units or the equivalent at the college and complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a California Dream Act application.

This bill would make ineligible for the fee waiver a community college student who has previously earned a degree or certificate from a postsecondary educational institution. The bill would authorize an institution to deem as full time, for the purposes of eligibility for a fee waiver, specified students who are not enrolled in 12 or more semester units. The bill would require the chancellor’s office to submit a report to the Legislature on or before July 1, 2024, evaluating the use of funding for the California College Promise to waive student fees, with specified content.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

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

SECTION 1.

Section 76396.3 of the Education Code is amended to read:

76396.3.

(a) A community college that has been certified by the chancellor as meeting the requirements established under Section 76396.2 shall receive funding pursuant to Section 76396.

(b) The community college may use funding appropriated pursuant to this article to waive some or all of the fees for first-time community college students who are enrolled at the college full time, and who complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application, except that a student who has previously earned a degree or certificate from a postsecondary educational institution is not eligible for this fee waiver. A fee waiver that a student receives pursuant to this subdivision shall only be for two academic years and fees shall only be waived for the summer term and each semester or quarter of an academic year in which the student maintains full-time status. A fee waiver provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not be available to a student who is charged a tuition fee pursuant to Section 76140.

(1) “Academic year” means the total of the summer term that immediately precedes the first semester or quarter of the fall term, and the two consecutive semesters or three quarters that immediately follow that summer term. Each semester or quarter is approximately the same length.

(2) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), “full time” means 12 or more semester units or the equivalent.

(B) A student enrolled in fewer than 12 units may be deemed “full time” at the discretion of the institution if the student has been certified as “full time” by a staff person in the disabled student services program at the institution who is qualified to make such a designation.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that funding provided to support the California College Promise be used by the community college to advance the goals outlined in Section 76396.1.

(e) On or before July 1, 2024, the chancellor’s office shall submit a report to the Legislature in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code evaluating the use of funding for the California College Promise to waive student fees. The report shall determine whether the goals outlined in Section 76396.1 are being met.