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SB-629 Community colleges: fee waivers.(2023-2024)



Current Version: 04/17/23 - Amended Senate

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SB629:v98#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Senate  April 17, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 629

Introduced by Senator Cortese
(Principal coauthor: Senator Becker)
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Berman)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Low and Pellerin)

February 16, 2023

An act to add Section 76303 to the Education Code, relating to community colleges.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 629, as amended, Cortese. Community colleges: West Valley-Mission Community College District. fee waivers.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law requires community college districts to charge students an enrollment fee of $46 per unit per semester.
Existing law authorizes the San Mateo County Community College District, among other things, to adopt a policy that uses local unrestricted general funds to provide fee waivers to students with the greatest financial need when other fee waivers are not provided to those students, and to provide assistance to students for the total cost of attendance.
This bill would authorize the West Valley-Mission Community College District the governing board of a community college district to adopt a policy that uses local unrestricted general funds to provide fee waivers to students with the greatest financial need when other fee waivers are not provided to those students, and would require the policy to include a requirement to prepare students if the community college district complies with certain requirements, including that 100% of its students complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or California Dream Act application, that the community college district has established a fully staffed Basic Needs Center, and that the community college district prepares a fiscal impact statement, including a 3-year projection of the fiscal impact of the fee waiver on the community college district, as specified. The bill would require, on or before October 10, 2024, and annually thereafter, a community college district to certify to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges that it has complied with all of those requirements, and would require, on or before December 31, 2024, and annually thereafter, the chancellor’s office to verify the information submitted and authorize the governing board of that community college district to adopt a policy that uses local unrestricted general funds to provide fee waivers to students with the greatest financial need. The bill would authorize the West Valley-Mission Community College District the governing board of a community college district that receives authorization to use local unrestricted general funds to provide assistance to students for the total cost of attendance, as defined. The bill would require the West Valley-Mission Community College District to use local unrestricted general funds for the purposes of these provisions only for students who reside within the boundary of the community college district.

This bill would require the governing board of the West Valley-Mission Community College District, on or before March 1, 2027, to submit a report to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the Department of Finance, and the appropriate committees of the Legislature on the implementation of these provisions, as specified.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for West Valley-Mission Community College District.

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

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 76303 is added to the Education Code, to read:

76303.
 (a) The governing board of the West Valley-Mission Community College District a community college district may adopt a policy that uses local unrestricted general funds to provide fee waivers to students with the greatest financial need, as determined by the community college district, when other fee waivers are not provided to those students. The policy shall include a requirement to prepare a students, if the community college district complies with all of the following:
(1) The community college district ensures that 100 percent of its students complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or California Dream Act application, to maximize the amount of student financial assistance each student is receiving to address their total cost of attendance.
(2) The community college district has established a fully staffed Basic Needs Center pursuant to Section 66023.5, and is making measurable progress towards reducing student food and housing insecurity.
(3) The community college district has prepared a fiscal impact statement, including a three-year projection of fiscal impact of the fee waiver on the community college district. The fiscal impact statement shall be presented at a public meeting of the governing board of the community college district and made available to the public. public and the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges as part of the certification required by subdivision (b).

(b)The West Valley-Mission Community College District may use local unrestricted general funds to provide assistance to students for the total cost of attendance.

(4) The governing board of the community college district receives authorization from the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges pursuant to subdivision (c).
(b) On or before October 10, 2024, and annually thereafter, a community college district shall certify to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges that it has complied with all of the requirements of subdivision (a).
(c) (1) On or before December 31, 2024, and annually thereafter, the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall verify the information submitted by a community college district and authorize the governing board of that community college district to adopt a policy that uses local unrestricted general funds to provide fee waivers to students with the greatest financial need.

(c)

(2) The West Valley-Mission Community College District governing board of a community college district that receives authorization pursuant to paragraph (1) may use local unrestricted general funds for the purposes described in this section only for students who reside within the boundary of the community college district.

(d)On or before March 1, 2027, the governing board of the West Valley-Mission Community College District shall submit a report to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the Department of Finance, and the appropriate committees of the Legislature on the implementation of this section. The report shall include all of the following:

(1)How the district has determined to use local unrestricted general funds to assist students with the total cost of attendance.

(2)A copy of the policy adopted by the governing board of the West Valley-Mission Community College District pursuant to subdivision (a).

(3)A copy of the fiscal impact statement prepared pursuant to subdivision (a).

(4)The number and percentage of students receiving a fee waiver pursuant to this section, disaggregated by age, race and ethnicity, unit load, and income level.

(5)The number and percentage of students receiving other forms of institutional aid, including scholarships and grants, disaggregated by age, race and ethnicity, unit load, and income level.

(6)The services and programs that were limited or eliminated due to the implementation of this section.

(e)

(d) For purposes of this section, the total cost of attendance for a student attending a community college shall be defined to include the student’s tuition and fees, books and supplies, living expenses, transportation expenses, and any other student expenses used to calculate a student’s financial need for purposes of federal Title IV student aid programs.
(e) The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges may adopt regulations to implement this section and set additional guidelines.

SEC. 2.

The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances of the West Valley-Mission Community College District that necessitate greater flexibility in the use of local resources to support students’ basic needs and removal of financial barriers for students to access higher education in a high cost-of-living region.