ARTICLE 2. The Student Aid Commission [69510 - 69519.3]
( Article 2 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010. )
The Student Aid Commission shall be composed of the following 15 members:
(a) One representative from public, proprietary, or nonprofit postsecondary schools located in California.
(b) One representative from a California independent college or university.
(c) One representative each from the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges.
(d) Two members each of whom shall be a student enrolled in a California postsecondary educational institution at the time of appointment, and shall be enrolled in a California postsecondary educational institution for the duration of the term. A student member who graduates from an institution with no more than six months of his or her term remaining shall be permitted to serve for the remainder of the term.
(e) Three public members.
(f) One representative from a California secondary school.
(g) Two representatives appointed by the Senate Rules Committee.
(h) Two representatives appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.
(Amended by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1573, Sec. 2.)
(a) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (b), each member of the commission, other than a student member and a member appointed pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 69510, shall have a four-year term. Members appointed pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 69510 shall serve at the pleasure of the Speaker of the Assembly.
(2) (A) A student member appointed pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 69510 shall have a term
of two academic years.
(B) Upon expiration of the student member’s two-year term, if the Governor has not appointed a successor, the student member may remain in office for one additional year or until the Governor appoints a successor, whichever occurs first. The requirements of subdivision (d) of Section 69510 do not apply to a student in the additional year under this paragraph.
(C) The commission shall notify the appropriate student organization for each segment, as described in Section 69511.5, of a pending student member vacancy no less than three months before the expiration of the term, and of the appropriate student organization’s opportunity to submit a list of nominees pursuant to Section 69511.5.
(b) The term of one member appointed pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section
69510, effective January 1, 1991, shall be for five years. Each subsequent term for members appointed pursuant to this subdivision shall be for four years.
(c) At no time shall both student representatives be enrolled in the same segment of postsecondary education in California. For purposes of this subdivision, each postsecondary education program listed in subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) of Section 69510 is a segment of postsecondary education in California.
(d) Appointment to the commission of members appointed pursuant to subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, of Section 69510 shall be made by the Governor subject to confirmation by the Senate.
(e) Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointment of a person who will have the same status as the predecessor of the appointee.
Except for appointees appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, the appointee shall hold office only for the balance of the unexpired term.
(f) (1) Each member of the commission shall receive a stipend of one hundred dollars ($100) for each day in which he or she attends any meeting of the commission or any meeting of any committee or subcommittee of the commission, of which committee or subcommittee he or she is a member, and which committee or subcommittee meeting is conducted for the purpose of carrying out the powers and duties of the commission. In addition, each member shall receive his or her actual and necessary traveling expenses incurred in the course of his or her duties.
(2) In addition, if a student member who attends a qualifying institution, as defined in Section 69432.7, is not the recipient of a Cal
Grant award, the qualifying institution, as a condition of participation in the Cal Grant program, shall waive the student member’s tuition, up to the maximum award amount for that institution, for the duration of the student member’s term of office.
(g) (1) If an act of Congress establishes a program of scholarships or grants for undergraduate students and permits administration of the program within a state by a state agency, the Student Aid Commission, as established by Section 69510, shall administer the act within the state if the Governor and the Student Aid Commission, by a majority vote of its entire membership, determine that the participation by the state in the federal scholarship or grant program under the act would not interfere with or jeopardize the continuation of the scholarship program established under Chapter 1.7 (commencing with Section 69430) of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3.
(2) The commission shall constitute the state commission on federal scholarships or grants and is hereby empowered to formulate a plan for development and administration of any federal scholarship or grant program within the state.
(3) Subject to the provisions of this chapter, the commission is hereby vested with all necessary power and authority to cooperate with the government of the United States, or any agency or agencies thereof, in the administration of any act of Congress establishing a scholarship or grant program and the rules and regulations adopted thereunder.
(4) Before adopting a state plan, the commission, acting as the state commission on federal scholarships or grants, shall hold public hearings as provided in the California Administrative Procedure Act.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 43, Sec. 1. (AB 1831) Effective June 27, 2018.)
(a) Notwithstanding Section 69511, the Governor shall appoint each student member of the Student Aid Commission pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 69510 from the persons nominated in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (b).
(b) For each student member of the commission, the appropriate student organization may submit a list of nominees. The list shall specify not less than three and not more than five nominees. The appropriate student organization for each segment shall be a composite group of at least five representative student government associations, as determined by the commission.
(c) The student member appointed to the commission shall not be enrolled in the same segment as the outgoing student member or in the same segment of the other sitting student member.
(d) Participating student organizations designated in subdivision (b) shall inform students within their respective segment of pending student vacancies on the commission.
(e) The person appointed as a student member of the Student Aid Commission pursuant to this section shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate as required in subdivision (d) of Section 69511.
(Amended by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1573, Sec. 3.)
The members of the commission shall annually select a chairperson from the members of the commission.
(Amended by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1379, Sec. 1. Effective October 1, 1985.)
The commission shall appoint a director who shall be the chief executive officer for the commission and who shall serve at the pleasure of the commission. The Legislature hereby requests the commission to designate that executive officer as the person holding the position confidential to it, within the meaning of subdivision (e) of Section 4 of Article VII of the Constitution.
The commission may employ other employees as it deems necessary to carry out its functions under this chapter.
(Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 8, Sec. 18. Effective April 15, 1993.)
The commission may delegate to the director any power, duty, purpose, function, or jurisdiction that the commission may lawfully delegate, including the authority to enter into and sign contracts on behalf of the commission. The director may redelegate any of those powers, duties, purposes, functions, or jurisdictions to his or her designee, unless by statute, or rule or regulation, the director is expressly required to act personally.
(Added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 482, Sec. 2. Effective August 14, 1992.)
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.
(Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 404, Sec. 1. (AB 2500) Effective January 1, 2025.)
In no event shall the director of the commission, any employee of the commission, or any individual retained by the commission serve as chairperson or a member of an advisory committee of the commission. This prohibition shall include, but not be limited to, all advisory committees established by statute and all advisory committees established by the commission.
(Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 268, Sec. 16.38. Effective June 30, 1984.)
The commission shall do all of the following:
(a) Report, on or before April 1 of each year, statistical data examining the impact and effectiveness of state-funded programs. The commission shall utilize common criteria in determining the impact of these programs, and shall have the authority to obtain any data from postsecondary educational institutions necessary for the reports. To the extent practicable, this report shall specifically note the number and the demographic characteristics of the students who qualify for a Cal Grant award based on obtaining high school graduation or its equivalent pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 69433.9.
(b) Collect and disseminate data concerning the financial resources and needs of students and potential students, and the scope and impact of existing state, federal, and institutional student aid programs.
(c) Report, on or before April 1 of each year, the aggregate financial need of individuals seeking access to postsecondary education and the degree to which current student aid programs meet this legitimate financial need.
(d) Develop and report annually the distribution of funds and awards among income groups, ethnic groups, grade point average levels, and postsecondary education segments.
(e) Prepare and disseminate information regarding the criteria utilized in distributing available student aid funds.
(f) Be authorized to expend funds for the purpose of disseminating information about all institutional, state, and federal student aid programs to potential applicants. This distribution of information shall primarily focus on potential applicants with the greatest financial need.
(g) In the event that the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet developed by the United States Department of Education is no longer available, develop, in consultation with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, a similar form that a postsecondary educational institution subject to the requirements of either Section 66021.3 or 94912.5 shall use. The form shall provide students and their families with information including, but not necessarily limited to, grant and scholarship opportunities and net costs associated
with attendance at an institution.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 28, Sec. 35. (SB 1380) Effective January 1, 2023.)
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the commission may receive donations, bequests, grants, and philanthropic funding, subject to conditions or restrictions that the executive director of the commission may deem advisable, and subject to the approval of the Director of Finance as provided in Section 11005 of the Government Code.
(b) Beginning January 1, 2024, at the first regular commission meeting of the calendar year, the commission shall publicly report both of the following:
(1) The source, and the amount from each source, of any philanthropic funding received during the calendar year immediately preceding the reporting deadline.
(2) The purpose for which that philanthropic funding was used.
(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 187, Sec. 1. (AB 2286) Effective January 1, 2023.)
(a) The Community College Student Financial Aid Outreach Program is hereby established. The commission shall, in consultation with the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, develop and administer this program for the purpose of providing financial aid training to high school and community college counselors and advisers who work with students planning to attend or attending a community college. This training shall also address the specific needs of all of the following:
(1) Community college students intending to transfer to a four-year institution of higher education.
(2) Foster youth and former foster youth, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 66025.9.
(3) Homeless
youth and former homeless youth, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 66025.9.
(4) Students with disabilities.
(b) The program shall provide specialized information on financial aid opportunities available to community college students, with a particular focus on students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university. The commission shall work in collaboration with the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and other segments of higher education to develop and distribute this specialized information to assist community college students who are planning to transfer to a four-year college or university. Each year, the program shall offer financial aid workshops for high school and community college counselors, targeted for students planning to attend a community college or to transfer from a community college to a
four-year institution of higher education. The program shall assist community college counselors in conducting student and family workshops that provide general information about financial aid and technical assistance in completing financial aid forms.
(c) The program shall concentrate its efforts on high schools and community colleges that are located in geographic areas that have a high percentage of low-income families.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 163, Sec. 3. (AB 806) Effective January 1, 2020.)
As used in this division, “commission” means the Student Aid Commission created by this article.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1113, Sec. 9.5.)
(a) The commission may enter into an agreement with a public agency of a state other than California, or a private entity related to an agency of another state, to assist the other agency or entity in implementing student financial aid programs, including providing assistance with processing grants, fellowships, and loans through the use of automated information systems. The commission may receive payment, reimbursement, or other resources as consideration for services provided pursuant to agreements entered into under this section.
(b) The commission shall establish fees for services it provides pursuant to this section in order to recover, at a minimum, the full costs of providing those services,
including all direct and indirect costs.
(c) The Financial Aid Technical Assistance Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury, and moneys in the fund shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature to the commission, for the direct and indirect costs of providing assistance to agencies and entities of other states with implementation of Dream Act programs and to improve financial aid services for California. The commission shall deposit the proceeds of the fees established under this section into the fund. Only the moneys received for purposes of this section shall be deposited into the fund. The fund shall be credited with all of the investment income earned by the moneys deposited in the fund. Moneys in the fund are not part of the General Fund as defined in Section 16300 of the Government Code.
(d) The commission shall use moneys deposited in the fund for all costs
associated with providing technical assistance to agencies of states other than California, and related private entities, pursuant to this section, and moneys remaining in the fund after those costs are retired shall be used to improve student financial aid services for California. Prior to the expenditure of these residual funds, the commission shall submit a detailed expenditure plan for approval by the Department of Finance as part of the annual budget process.
(e) Beginning October 1, 2014, the commission shall submit an annual report to the Department of Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee detailing the total revenues collected in the fund, by service provided and applicable fee collected, and the use of the moneys in the fund.
(Added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 50, Sec. 1. (AB 94) Effective July 1, 2013.)
The commission shall work cooperatively with the State Department of Social Services to develop an automated system to verify a student’s status as a foster youth to aid in the processing of applications for federal financial aid.
(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 722, Sec. 1. (SB 12) Effective January 1, 2018.)
(a) The Student Aid Commission, in consultation with an advisory committee of students and representatives of postsecondary institutions, may make adjustments to award selection procedures and selection criteria. In determining adjustments, the commission shall consider at least all of the following factors:
(1) The impact of the adjustments on the distribution of funds and awards among income groups, ethnic groups, and grade point average levels.
(2) The impact of the adjustments on the distribution of funds and awards among postsecondary education segments.
(3) The costs of implementing proposed adjustments.
(4) The availability of financial aid from other sources for students who qualify for an award.
(b) The commission may also consider the impact of inflation in the proposed adjustments pursuant to subdivision (a).
(c) In proposing changes to the procedures and criteria for award selection that would result in a substantive change in the recipient population, the commission shall submit the proposed changes for public review and comment in accordance with procedures established in Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1113, Sec. 11.)
The Student Aid Commission shall, with the assistance of the Attorney General’s office, seek refunds on any awards to students made under this part that resulted from the student or his or her parents, or both, reporting information concerning their status incorrectly, with the incorrect information leading to the establishment of the student’s financial eligibility to receive an award.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 43, Sec. 4. Effective June 26, 2006.)
(a) By September 15 of each fiscal year, the Student Aid Commission shall submit budget change proposals to the Department of Finance for inclusion in the Governor’s Budget prepared pursuant to Section 12 of Article IV of the California Constitution.
(b) The budget change proposals submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the impact of any proposed adjustments in the distribution of funds and awards.
(c) Any supporting materials prepared for the Student Aid Commission’s consideration and public review and comment pursuant to this section, including, when it becomes available, data pertaining to the impact of any proposed adjustments on the distribution of funds and awards among income groups, ethnic groups, grade point average levels, and postsecondary education segments, shall be incorporated within the expenditure plan.
(d) If the Student Aid Commission proposes, in its budget change proposals, adjustments to the maximum grant, number of grants, and the income ceiling for grant awards made pursuant to Section 69532, at least the following factors shall be considered in determining the appropriate adjustments:
(1) The impact of inflation.
(2) The availability of financial aid from other sources for students who would qualify for a grant award.
(3) Any changes in the level of educational support provided to students at public colleges and universities in the state.
(4) The impact of proposed adjustments in the maximum grant and in the income ceiling upon the utilization of public and private postsecondary educational institutions.
(5) The number of applicants eligible to receive an award in the previous year who did not receive an award in the previous year.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1113, Sec. 12.)
(a) The commission, through an interagency agreement with the State Department of Social Services, currently operates a federally funded scholarship program, known as the Chafee Educational and Training Vouchers Program, that provides grant aid to provide access to California’s current and former foster youth to postsecondary education. Funds provided through an appropriation by the Legislature shall be supplemental to funds provided by the federal government, and are designated to ensure program availability in the absence of and before the annual receipt of federal funds for this purpose. The department shall opt in, as necessary, to expand program age eligibility of former foster youth up to 26 years of age pursuant to federal program guidelines. The department shall pursue and seek possible Chafee Educational and Training
Vouchers Program federal matching dollars.
(b) Funds provided for this program shall be used to assist students who are current and former foster youth, for career and technical training or traditional college courses. The commission shall operate this program in accordance with the program instructions provided by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, and the program guidelines developed by the State Department of Social Services.
(c) The total amount of funding and the amount of individual awards shall depend upon the amount of federal funding provided in addition to state funding. The commission, in conjunction with the State Department of Social Services, shall determine the individual award amounts and total number of students awarded on an annual basis as the amount of total annual funding is determined.
(d) Commencing with the 2021–22 award year, the commission may make initial award offers totaling up to 200 percent of the total state and federal program funding available for all awards. Each year, the commission, in conjunction with the State Department of Social Services, shall determine the number of initial awards offered, based on the historical acceptance rate of initial awards and the size of awards, so not to exceed the total amount of available funding for the full award cycle. The commission shall make an award offer contingent upon available funding, and may adjust or withdraw an award offer before payment to ensure that total award payments do not exceed the total amount of available funding for the award cycle. The commission shall inform each recipient of an award offer that the offer may be withdrawn or adjusted before payment and that an award is payable to an eligible student only to the extent that funding is available.
(e) Commencing with the 2017–18 award year, the commission shall make a new Chafee grant award to a student only if the student attends either of the following:
(1) A qualifying institution that is eligible for participation in the Cal Grant Program pursuant to Section 69432.7.
(2) An institution that is not located in California that satisfies the provisions of subparagraphs (C) and (F) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (l) of Section 69432.7.
(f) (1) Commencing with the 2018–19 award year, the commission shall make a Chafee grant award to a student only if the student meets both of the following conditions:
(A) The student will not be 26 years of age or older by July 1
of the award year.
(B) The student attends either of the following institutions:
(i) A qualifying institution that is eligible for participation in the Cal Grant Program pursuant to Section 69432.7.
(ii) An institution that is not located in California that satisfies the provisions of subparagraphs (C) and (F) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (l) of Section 69432.7.
(2) Implementation of this subdivision is contingent upon an appropriation of sufficient funds in the annual Budget Act for this purpose.
(g) The California Community Colleges and the California State University shall, and the University of California is requested to, provide all Chafee grant recipients, upon release of the
first payment, with information regarding available support services on campus and the process for completing an educational plan. In this notification, Chafee grant recipients shall be strongly encouraged to avail themselves of these services if they have not already done so.
(h) (1) (A) If a student fails to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the institution where the student is enrolled, for two consecutive semesters or three consecutive quarters, or an equivalent enrollment period, the student shall meet with an appropriate college staff member to develop a plan for improving academic progress or update an existing plan, in order to ensure that the student is making satisfactory progress toward completion and to receive their remaining Chafee grant funds.
(B) If a student with a plan pursuant to subparagraph
(A) fails to meet satisfactory academic progress standards for a third consecutive semester or fourth consecutive quarter, or an equivalent enrollment period, the student shall meet with an appropriate college staff member to update the plan, in order to ensure that the student is making satisfactory progress toward completion and to receive their remaining Chafee grant funds.
(C) Once a plan has been developed or updated pursuant to subparagraph (A) or (B), as applicable, and submitted to the financial aid office, remaining Chafee grant funds shall be released to the student for the next applicable semester, quarter, or other period, in accordance with the existing schedule for release.
(2) A student who fails to update their plan, or who fails to meet satisfactory academic progress standards for a fourth consecutive semester or fifth consecutive quarter, or an equivalent
enrollment period, shall lose Chafee grant eligibility subject to subdivision (i).
(3) For purposes of this subdivision, a college staff member who can assist a student on their plan includes an academic counselor, a Homeless and Foster Student Liaison, as described in Section 67003.5, an Extended Opportunity Programs and Services counselor, a Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program counselor, a Disabled Student Programs and Services counselor, another campus-based foster youth support program staff member, or another appropriate adviser.
(4) This subdivision and subdivision (i) apply to any student who is otherwise eligible to receive a Chafee grant award pursuant to subdivision (f).
(5) The California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California may use
existing resources to implement this subdivision and subdivisions (g) and (i), to the extent those resources may be lawfully expended for those purposes.
(6) For purposes of this section, the definition of “satisfactory academic progress” used by the institution where the student is enrolled shall provide that
homelessness, as defined as a “homeless individual” within the meaning of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11302(a)), or as defined as a “homeless child or youth,” as defined in subsection (2) of Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)), is an extenuating circumstance for students who are otherwise unable to meet the requirements deemed to constitute “satisfactory academic progress” at that institution, and that extenuating circumstance may be considered by the institution to alter or excuse compliance with those progress requirements.
(i) A student who fails to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the institution where the student is enrolled, for four consecutive semesters or five consecutive quarters, or an equivalent enrollment period, shall lose eligibility for a Chafee grant, subject to the following:
(1) A student who loses eligibility may appeal the loss of the Chafee grant during any subsequent semester or quarter, or term, following the loss of eligibility.
(2) An institution shall provide a student written notice of the process for appealing the loss of a Chafee grant, regardless of whether the institution offers an appeal process for loss of other forms of financial aid.
(3) In reviewing the appeal of a student, an institution shall automatically
reinstate a student’s Chafee grant eligibility if one of the following applies:
(A) The student achieves either a 2.0 GPA during the previous semester or quarter, or other applicable term, or a cumulative GPA of 2.0, even if the student did not meet the institution’s satisfactory academic progress policy requirements.
(B) The student demonstrates the existence of an extenuating circumstance that impeded successful course completion in the past but that has since been addressed such that the student is likely to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress in the future.
(C) The student provides evidence of engagement with a supportive program, either on or off campus, that is assisting the student to make continued academic progress.
(4) A student who
loses Chafee eligibility by not demonstrating satisfactory academic progress and subsequently is not enrolled for one or more semesters or quarters, or another applicable term or terms, shall be eligible for a Chafee grant upon reenrollment at a qualifying institution.
(j) A student’s receipt of a Chafee grant award shall not exceed five years, which need not be consecutive.
(k) An institution shall not impose any additional eligibility criteria for a Chafee grant other than those described in this section and in Section 677(i) of Title 42 of the United States Code.
(l) Commencing with the 2018–19 award year, up to eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) of any appropriation made by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute to expand the Chafee Educational and Training Vouchers Program age
eligibility of former foster youth up to 26 years of age may be used by the commission or the State Department of Social Services for outreach to newly eligible former foster youth who are at least 23 years of age, but are not yet 26 years of age, for the 2018–19 to 2020–21 fiscal years, inclusive. Outreach may include travel, material development, printing or publication, and other costs, as necessary.
(m) The commission shall annually report to the Legislature all of the following information for the preceding award year:
(1) The number of students who apply to receive a Chafee grant award.
(2) The number of Chafee grants awarded.
(3) The number of Chafee applicants denied due to either of the following reasons:
(A) The Chafee applicant no longer meets the age requirements of the program.
(B) There is insufficient proof of the Chafee applicant’s status as a current or former foster youth.
(4) The number of Chafee awardees unpaid due to any of the following reasons:
(A) Failure to meet minimum enrollment requirements.
(B) Failure to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress according to campus policy.
(C) Any other common reason that a Chafee awardee did not receive a payment.
(5) The number and age of students paid through the Chafee Educational and Training Vouchers
Program.
(6) The average Chafee grant award amount.
(7) Qualifying institutions where Chafee grant awards are used.
(8) Degree levels for which Chafee grant awards are used.
(9) The amount spent on outreach and education efforts and the types of activities that the authorization in subdivision (l) funded. This information shall include the distribution of outreach funding between the commission and the State Department of Social Services, and any other entity that was involved.
(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 285, Sec. 2. (AB 2416) Effective January 1, 2021.)
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to clarify educational policies for purposes of improving access for low-income students to the CalFresh program established pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 18900) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(b) For purposes of Section 273.5(a) of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, a student shall be determined to be attending at least half-time any semester or term in which the student enrolls in at least one-half of the number of credits needed each semester or term to graduate within four years of enrollment as a first-time freshman, or within two years of enrollment as a transfer student, unless prohibited by federal law.
(c) The commission shall notify, in writing, a recipient of a Cal Grant award whose grant includes any amount of funding that has been derived from the Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) block grant or state match in order for the student to verify that the student qualifies for the exemption from the CalFresh program student eligibility rules provided for in Section 273.5(b) of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(d) (1) To the extent the commission is permitted by federal law to use information to determine a student’s CalFresh eligibility and possesses the pertinent information, the commission shall notify students of their exemption from the CalFresh program student eligibility rules provided for in Section 273.5(b) of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations and their potential eligibility for CalFresh benefits.
(2) The notification provided in paragraph (1) shall be considered the verification of the student’s exemption from the CalFresh program student eligibility rules provided for in Section 273.5(b) of Title 7 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, as specified in the notice for purposes of qualifying for the CalFresh program.
(e) The commission shall not be required to provide more than one written notification under this section to a student who is eligible for notification under
subdivision (c) or (d).
(f) The commission shall confer with stakeholders on at least an annual basis to implement this section and continuously improve the process of securing CalFresh benefits for eligible students.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 167, Sec. 1. (SB 20) Effective January 1, 2023.)