Bill Text: CA AB2500 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Student financial aid: application deadlines: postponement.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-07-03 - From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 3). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. [AB2500 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB2500-Amended.html
NOYES
Local Program:
NO
SECTION 1.
Bill Title: Student financial aid: application deadlines: postponement.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-07-03 - From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 3). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. [AB2500 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB2500-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 19, 2024 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2500
| Introduced by Assembly Member Mike Fong |
February 13, 2024 |
An act to amend Section 69513.2 of the Education Code, relating to student financial aid.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2500, as amended, Mike Fong.
Student financial aid: application deadlines: postponement.
Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. Existing law requires the commission to appoint a director as the chief executive officer for the commission and authorizes the commission to employ other employees as it deems necessary to carry out its functions.
Existing law, the Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards, the Cal Grant 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, the Cal Grant C Awards, and the Cal Grant T Awards under the administration of the commission. Existing law also establishes
the Middle Class Scholarship Program under the commission’s administration. Existing law establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. The eligibility requirements under these programs, as well as other financial aid programs administered by the commission, include meeting various application deadlines.
Existing law authorizes the commission to grant a postponement of an application deadline of up to 30 calendar days for any financial aid program administered by the commission, as specified. This authority applies if the commission receives a formal request to extend a deadline from a designated educational official and the commission finds that a qualifying event, as defined, has occurred that, in the judgment of the commission, has had an adverse effect on the ability of pupils or students within a school district, community college district, or an area or region within the state,
such as a city or county, to successfully complete and submit their financial aid applications by the established application deadline. Existing law requires the formal request to extend a deadline to be submitted to the commission no later than 10 business days after the conclusion of the qualifying event. event and requires the commission, upon approval of a formal request, to issue a written notice of the postponement of the deadline within 24 hours. Existing law authorizes the commission, on a permanent basis, to delegate to its elected officers the authority to grant a deadline postponement, as specified.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would, as it relates to the Student Aid Commission’s authority
instead require the commission to grant a postponement of an application deadline for specified financial aid programs administered by the commission pursuant to a formal request, instead grant that authority to the executive director, as described above, and would authorize the commission to grant, without submission of a formal request, a deadline postponement for certain qualifying events, as provided. The bill would instead authorize the commission, on a permanent basis, to delegate the authority to grant a deadline postponement to the director of the commission. The bill would extend the
10-day timeline for submission of a formal request to 15 days,
extend the 24-hour timeline for the commission to issue a written notice of a deadline postponement to 48 hours, and would require a commission staff to annually report to the commission on extension requests, and authorize the commission to automatically grant deadline extensions for certain qualifying events.
certain information related to deadline postponements.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 69513.2 of the Education Code is amended to read:69513.2.
Notwithstanding any other law:(a) The commission may shall grant up to an additional 30 calendar days beyond an application deadline for any financial aid program administered by the commission pursuant to this part, at the discretion of the commission, if both of the following conditions are met: part if the commission receives and approves a formal request to postpone the application deadline from either the superintendent of
a school district or community college district or from the president or chancellor of a California institution of higher education that is eligible to receive state funds for student financial assistance and the commission finds that a qualifying event, as defined in subdivision (e), or other impactful event has occurred.
(1)The commission receives a formal request to postpone the application deadline from either the superintendent of a school district or community college district or from the president or chancellor of a California institution of higher education that is eligible to receive state funds for student financial assistance.
(2)The commission finds that a qualifying event, as defined in subdivision (d), has occurred that, in the judgment of the commission, has had an adverse effect on the ability of pupils or students within the school district, community college district, or an area or region within the state, such as a city or county, to successfully complete and submit their financial aid applications by the established application deadline.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the commission may grant up to an additional 30 calendar days beyond an application deadline for any financial aid program administered by the commission pursuant to this part if the commission finds that a qualifying event described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) has occurred.
(b)
(c) A postponement of an application deadline granted by the commission under subdivision (a) pursuant
to this section shall apply to all financial aid applicants within the school district, community college district, or the area or region, such as a city or county, that was predominantly affected by the qualifying event referenced in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a). event.
(c)
(d) For purposes of this section, the commission may, on a permanent basis, delegate to its elected officers, which include the chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, and any other commissioner currently serving as an elected officer,
the director of the commission the authority to grant, by a unanimous decision of
all such officers, the grant a deadline postponement authorized by this section.
(d)
(e) For purposes of this section, a “qualifying event” is any event or extenuating circumstance outside of the control of the pupils or students in an affected school district, community college district, or area or region that, in the judgment of the commission,
that has had an adverse effect on the ability of students within the district to successfully complete and submit their financial aid applications by an established statutory deadline. The qualifying event shall have occurred or been ongoing during the period for which financial aid applications were available to submit for the following academic year, and includes, but is not necessarily limited to, any of the following types of events:
(1) A natural disaster.
(2) A state of emergency declared by the Governor or the President of the United States.
(3) A labor action.
(e)
(f) The commission may establish procedures, which may include a standardized application form, through which a postponement of an application deadline may be requested by the individuals referenced in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). The formal application to the commission shall be submitted no later than 10 15 business days after the occurrence of the qualifying event in question, or, if the qualifying event is ongoing, no later than 10
15 business days after the conclusion of the qualifying event, and shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1) A description of the qualifying event that is the basis for the request, including how the event in question has had an adverse effect on students’ ability to submit their financial aid applications by the established deadline.
(2) A list of any financial aid outreach events, including, but not necessarily limited to, workshops or webinars sponsored by the commission, that have been canceled or delayed due to the qualifying event.
(3) When available, data showing that there has been, or is likely to be, a reduction in the number of students who have completed a financial
aid application from the previous year.
(f)
(g) If the commission approves the request for a postponement of an application deadline, grants the postponement of an application deadline pursuant to this section, the commission shall issue a written notice of the postponement of the deadline within 24 48
hours of granting the request.
postponement of the deadline. The notice shall include the approved postponed deadline, and shall be sent to all of the following or their respective designees:
(1) The individual who requested the extension pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). subdivision (a), if applicable.
(2) The Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(3) The Governor.
(4) The Director of Finance.
(5) The President of the University of California.
(6) The Chancellor of the California State University.
(7) The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
(8) The chairpersons of the relevant fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature.
(g)
(h) When approving a request for granting a postponement of an application deadline pursuant to
this section, the commission shall post all of the following on its internet website:
(1) The approved postponed deadline.
(2) The public school district, community college district, or area or region, such as a city or county, to which the approved postponed deadline applies.
(h)
(i) The authority to grant postponements of application deadlines established pursuant to this section shall apply to all of the following programs established in statute, as well as
and any other state-funded financial aid programs administered by the commission pursuant to this part:
(1) The Cal Grant A Entitlement program established by Article 2 (commencing with Section 69434) of Chapter 1.7.
(2) The Cal Grant B Entitlement program established by Article 3 (commencing with Section 69435) of Chapter 1.7.
(3) The California Community College Transfer Cal Grant Entitlement Program established by Article 4 (commencing with Section 69436) of Chapter 1.7.
(4) The Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards program established by Article 5 (commencing with Section 69437) of Chapter 1.7.
(5) The Middle Class Scholarship Program
established by Article 22 (commencing with Section 70020).
(i)Notwithstanding subdivision (e), with respect to application deadlines for pupils or students applying for financial aid for the 2019–20 academic year, in response to a formal request from an individual
referenced in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) that is received no later than 10 business days after the act adding this section becomes operative, the commission may, by a unanimous vote of its elective officers as referenced in subdivision (c), retroactively postpone these deadlines in accordance with the procedures established in this section.
(j) Commission staff shall annually report all of the following information to the commission:
(1) The total number of deadline postponement requests that were granted pursuant to subdivision (a).
(2) The total number of statewide financial aid applications received after the established application deadline.
(3) The specific school districts, community college districts, or areas or regions within the state that received approval to submit a delayed financial aid application pursuant to subdivision (a).
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would, as it relates to the Student Aid Commission’s authority to grant a postponement of an application deadline for specified financial aid programs pursuant to a formal request, instead grant that authority to the executive director, extend the 10-day timeline for submission of a formal request to 15 days, require a report to the commission on extension requests, and authorize the commission to automatically grant deadline extensions for certain qualifying events.
