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.