SECTIONS 76070-76071 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 76070-76071

76070. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) Students of the California Community Colleges (CCC) receive
federal Pell Grants at a rate significantly below the national
community college average, and yet there is no indication that CCC
students are less needy.
(2) California taxpayers pay into the federal Pell Grant program
through federal taxes, but California students do not receive the
benefits of the federal Pell Grant program at equal levels.
(3) California Community Colleges students receive federal Pell
Grant funds at a rate significantly below undergraduate students at
the University of California and the California State University, and
again, there is no indication that CCC students are less needy.
(4) California maintains a low fee for CCC students, significantly
lower than for University of California and California State
University students and lower than the fee for other community
college students in the nation, but this does not mean these students
need fewer funds from the federal Pell Grant program. Federal Pell
Grant funds do not pay community college fees; instead, federal Pell
Grant funds are directed toward the remaining costs of attendance,
called "indirect expenses" such as books, supplies, and room and
board, which are just as high, and sometimes higher, for CCC students
as for those other students in the nation and in other California
colleges.
(5) Textbook prices are soaring, many CCC students live in
high-cost urban areas, many CCC students support children, and
financially needy CCC students struggle to make ends meet. A low
participation rate in the largest federal grant program in California'
s largest system of postsecondary education is unacceptable.
(6) The University of California (UC) and the California State
University (CSU) conduct annual one-day conferences to educate
California high school counselors about the policies, procedures, and
services available in their respective systems. The California
Community Colleges have not been funded to conduct similar statewide
conferences, and must rely on local relationships that do not give
all high schools access to consistent information. It is critical for
student success in the community colleges that high school
counselors are full partners in outreach and preparation,
particularly as California is poised to hire and train many new
counselors. This training will help counselors understand that all
students need encouragement, information, and support services to
pursue postsecondary education, not just those who are the most
successful and traditionally viewed as headed to four-year colleges
and universities.
(7) California Community Colleges financial aid programs received
a major infusion of administrative allowances in the Budget Act of
2003 (Chapter 157 of the Statutes of 2003), which has resulted in
substantial progress in assisting more students to receive federal
Pell Grants; however, the average financial aid administrative
support per student in the CCC segment, as compared to support for
undergraduates in the UC and CSU systems is still significantly
lower, while the administrative function is no less demanding, and in
some aspects, more demanding, than the challenges faced by financial
aid administrators in the UC and CSU systems.
(8) Some CCC students fail to receive federal Pell Grants because
they do not enroll directly from high school or drop out after
beginning attendance, or take very few units and work to support
themselves and often to help their families. The income from these
jobs, which cannot be sustained if a student desires to be a
full-time student, causes students to become ineligible for federal
Pell Grants. The colleges have the discretion, under federal law, to
work with individuals to document the changes in their circumstances
and justify eligibility, but to do so is labor-intensive and, thus,
not a service that can be widely provided.
(9) Some CCC students are not able to secure financial information
from their parents, or are reluctant to approach parents who live in
poverty, and give up when they discover the financial aid
application process involves their parents. The counseling and
assistance necessary to make these highly needy students eligible is
also labor-intensive and is, thus, difficult to provide without
sufficient professional staff.
(10) Some students fail to qualify for federal Pell Grants because
they have not yet declared an "eligible program" as their objective,
and scarce counseling resources in the community colleges exacerbate
this problem.
(11) Efforts to improve participation in federal student aid will
also have a beneficial effect on participation in the Cal Grant
Program, which currently provides only 10 percent of the financial
aid funding in the community colleges. While there are participation
barriers in the Cal Grant Program, such as early deadlines and
limited funds for older students, that cannot be addressed by
increased support services, some students will be reached who might
not otherwise qualify for the Cal Grant Program.
(12) Efforts to improve participation in federal student aid will
additionally have a beneficial effect on participation in the Board
of Governors Enrollment Fee Waiver Program, which is critical to
community college access.
(13) The CCC Chancellor's Office maintains a financial aid unit,
but it does not have the staffing capacity to undertake a wide range
of systemwide initiatives and support. These initiatives could
leverage millions of dollars in federal student assistance.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to support an array of
initiatives to increase the number of CCC students receiving awards
from the federal Pell Grant program, thereby helping to improve
access to college for low-income students, helping improve their
chances of success by having improved financial means to pay for
escalating college costs, and the ability to devote more time to
their education, improving the participation rate in other federal
and state student aid programs, and helping Californians receive
their fair share of the federal taxes paid to support federal
financial aid programs.

76071. (a) The CCC Chancellor's Office shall develop a statement
that individual students will be asked to sign, which acknowledges
that federal and state funds are available to assist with the costs
of college and that information regarding these programs, and
assistance in applying for those funds can be obtained at the
financial aid office. The chancellor shall request the colleges to
require students to sign this acknowledgment in the application for
enrollment at all campuses of the California Community Colleges in
the next regular local cycle in which those forms are printed and the
next regular cycle in which electronic applications are updated.
(b) The CCC Chancellor's Office shall develop a statement to
individual students receiving the Board of Governors Enrollment Fee
Waiver, who did not apply for federal student aid, informing them
about the benefits of the federal programs, the application process,
and the availability of assistance to apply. The chancellor shall
request colleges to provide this statement to all students who meet
this description.