(a) Commencing with the 2017–18 academic year, each participating community college shall provide a grant award to a student pursuant to subdivision (b). The purpose of the grant award is to provide the student with additional financial aid to help offset his or her total cost of community college attendance.
(b) A student attending a community college may receive a grant award pursuant to this section if the student meets all of the following requirements:
(1) The student has received an award under the Full-Time Success Grant program established pursuant to Schedule (1) of Item 6870-102-0001 of the Budget Act of 2016 for each term in which he or she receives an award under this section.
(2) The student is enrolled in a program of study and has completed an education plan identifying courses, sequence of courses, key progress milestones, and other requirements the student must complete to earn an associate degree, career technical education certificate, or other community college certificates, or meet university transfer requirements.
(3) The student is not incarcerated.
(4) The student is not in default on any student loan and has not failed to repay a federal or state student grant when required to do so.
(5) (A) The student maintains a grade point average of at least 2.0 and complies with any one of the following:
(i) Enrolls in 15 or more credit units per semester, or the equivalent number of units per quarter, to be considered on track to obtain an associate degree for transfer or an associate degree, or to otherwise transfer to a four-year university, within two academic years, or within three academic years if a student is required to take basic skills courses by the community college.
(ii) Enrolls in a sufficient number of units per semester, quarter, or summer term, as determined by the community college, to be considered on track to receive a certificate for a career technical education program or other community college certificates within the published length of time, or within the published length of time plus one academic year if a student is required to take basic skills courses by the community college.
(iii) Enrolls in intersession or summer coursework after enrolling in 12 or more credits per the primary semester, or the applicable number of units per quarter, as applicable, to be considered on track to receive an associate degree for transfer or an associate degree, or to otherwise transfer to a four-year university, within two academic years, or within three academic years if a student is required to take basic skills courses by the community college.
(iv) Enrolls in a sufficient number of units per semester, quarterly equivalent, or summer term, as determined by the community college, to be considered on track to receive a baccalaureate degree authorized pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) of Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 within the published length of time, or within the published length of time plus one academic year if a student is required to take basic skills courses by the community college.
(B) For the purposes of subparagraph (A), credits earned while participating in a dual enrollment program shall count towards the requisite number of units required.
(6) The student earns a sufficient number of credits per award year to be considered on track to complete one of the following:
(A) An associate degree for transfer or an associate degree, or to otherwise transfer to a four-year university, within two academic years, or within three academic years if a student is required to take basic skills courses by the community college.
(B) A career technical education certificate within the published time for the career technical education program, or complete any other community college certificate within the published length of time for the certificate program, or within the published length of time plus one academic year if a student is required to take basic skills courses by the community college.
(C) A baccalaureate degree authorized pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) of Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7, within the published length of time for the degree, or within the published length of time plus one academic year if a student is required to take basic skills courses by the community college.
(7) The student is a California resident or is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under Section 68130.5 or 76140.
(c) (1) To the extent practicable, a grant award shall be awarded at the same time as a recipient’s overall financial aid package.
(2) The grant award shall be two thousand dollars ($2,000) annually, with a maximum one-thousand-dollar ($1,000) award per semester, or quarterly equivalent, shall be considered a supplemental grant, and shall not supplant any other grant, fee waiver, or scholarship aid received by the student, including, but not necessarily limited to, federal grants, Cal Grant awards, institutional grants, merit-based scholarships, athletic scholarships, and full-time student success grants.
(3) The grant award shall be based upon the financial need of the applicant, and shall not exceed the calculated financial need for any individual applicant. The minimum level of financial need of applicants shall be determined by the commission pursuant to Section 69432.9.
(4) The grant award identified in paragraph (2) shall be proportionally reduced if the amount of funding appropriated in the annual Budget Act for this purpose is insufficient to fully fund the total number of students awarded a grant.
(d) Each participating community college shall administer the grant award pursuant to the requirements of this section.
(e) This section shall not be operative in a fiscal year unless funding has been provided for this section for that fiscal year in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 250, Sec. 8. (AB 129) Effective September 16, 2017. By its own provisions, continuing operation is contingent upon funding.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018