AB 540

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission to administer state student financial aid programs, including, among other programs, the Cal Grant Program, the Assumption Program of Loans for Education, and the Middle Class Scholarship Program. Existing law also requires that a person, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, who has attended high school in California for 3 or more years, who has graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent thereof, who has registered at or attends an accredited institution of higher education in California not earlier than the fall semester or quarter of the 2001–02 academic year, and who, if the person is an alien without lawful immigration status, has filed a prescribed affidavit, is exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges and the California State University. Existing law, known as the California Dream Act of 2011, provides that a student attending the California State University, the California Community Colleges, or the University of California who is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under the provision described above is eligible to receive a scholarship derived from nonstate funds received, for the purpose of scholarships, by the public postsecondary educational segment that the student attends. Existing law establishes, commencing with the 2019–20 academic year, the Cal Grant B Service Incentive Grant Program under the administration of the Student Aid Commission. This program requires a participating student, in order to receive a grant award under the program, among other requirements, to be a recipient of a Cal Grant B award; to be enrolled as a student at a campus of the University of California, the California State University, or the California Community Colleges, or at an independent institution of higher education, as defined; and to perform at least 100 hours per quarter or 150 hours per semester of community or volunteer service, as provided. Existing law establishes the eligibility requirements for students participating in the program, including submission of a California Dream Act application to the commission and meeting all of the requirements for an exemption from paying nonresident tuition as described above. Existing law also specifies the requirements for the community or volunteer service performed by participating students to be applied toward the earning of grant awards under the program. This bill would change the name of the Cal Grant B Service Incentive Grant Program to the California Dreamer Service Incentive Grant Program. The bill would require that an organization at which the community or volunteer service is performed by a participating student under the program to have been established for a minimum of 2 years before the first date on which a participating student begins performing service hours to qualify for the program. The bill would also authorize the commission to adopt regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of the program as emergency regulations, as specified.