Bill Text: CA AB2500 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Bill 2500

Bill Title: Student financial aid: application deadlines: postponement.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-09-22 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 404, Statutes of 2024. [AB2500 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB2500-Chaptered.html

Assembly Bill No. 2500

CHAPTER 404

An act to amend Section 69513.2 of the Education Code, relating to student financial aid.

[ Approved by Governor September 22, 2024. Filed with Secretary of State September 22, 2024. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2500, 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 postpone 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 postpone a deadline to be submitted to the commission no later than 10 business days after the conclusion of the qualifying 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 instead require the commission to grant a postponement of an application deadline for financial aid programs administered by the commission pursuant to a formal request, 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 commission staff to annually report to specified persons and entities certain information related to deadline postponements.

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

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 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 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), has occurred.

(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.

(c) A postponement of an application deadline granted by the commission 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.

(d) For purposes of this section, the commission may, on a permanent basis, delegate to the director of the commission the authority to grant a deadline postponement authorized by this section.

(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 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 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.

(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 subdivision (a). The formal application to the commission shall be submitted no later than 15 business days after the occurrence of the qualifying event in question, or, if the qualifying event is ongoing, no later than 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 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.

(g) If the commission 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 48 hours of granting the 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 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 Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the chairpersons of the relevant fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature.

(h) When 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.

(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, 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).

(j) Commission staff shall annually report all of the following information to the commission, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and the chairpersons of the relevant fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature:

(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).

(4) Information regarding whether approved deadline postponements due to a natural disaster or state of emergency were made equally available to financial aid applicants across the impacted area or region.