BILL ANALYSIS
AB 888
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 3, 2001
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Elaine Alquist, Chair
AB 888 (McLeod) - As Introduced: February 22, 2001
As Proposed to be Amended in Committee RN0112718
SUBJECT : Community college book grants
SUMMARY : Requires the California Student Aid Commission (SAC) to
provide a grant, to purchase books and supplies, to community
college students who meet specific requirements. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Provides grants to students who qualify for the fees are
waived under the systemwide Board of Governor's fee waiver
program (BOGW), given that they are not currently receiving
assistance from either the existing Cal Grant Program or the
Educational Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) book
grant.
2) Provides grants at the following levels:
a) $200 per semester for full-time students;
b) $150 per semester for students enrolling in nine to 12
units; and,
c) $100 per semester to students enrolled in six to nine
units.
EXISTING LAW authorizes the California community colleges to
charge student enrollment fees ($11 per unit), but provides an
exemption from the fee for individuals who are:
1)Recipients of TANF (formerly AFDC);
2)Recipients of Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary
Program (SSI);
3)Recipients of any general assistance program;
4)Have demonstrated financial need based on the income standards
AB 888
Page 2
specified by the Community College Board of Governors; or,
5)Dependents and/or surviving spouses of California National
Guard members killed in the line of duty.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : At the state level, community college students are
eligible for Cal Grant B Competitive awards (which provide a
living allowance to cover the cost of books, supplies and
transportation) and Cal Grant C awards, which are targeted at
students in vocational programs and provide approximately $530
for books, tools, equipment and supplies. Less than 20,000
community college students per year obtain either of these
benefits.
Currently, the EOPS program provides book grants to a limited
number of financially needy students at each campus. Funding
for the program has not been sufficient enough to accommodate
all EOPS students who have demonstrated need.
This bill allows for grants to the population of student who
qualify under the BOGW standards, but do not receive either the
Cal Grant benefit, or the EOPS benefit.
Many community college students spend more money per year on
books and supplies (approximately $600 per year) than they do on
student enrollment fees ($264 in enrollment fees for a student
taking 12 units per semester). While current law allows
community colleges to waive the enrollment fees for financially
needy students under the BOGW, there are few sources of funding
to cover the cost of books and/or supplies.
Approximately 450,000 students statewide receive BOG fee
waivers. The number of fee waivers ranges from approximately
52,000 granted in the LA Community College District to
approximately 350 granted by the Palo Verde Community College
District.
Under current law and practice, students applying for BOGW fill
out a short application form and are assessed immediately for
eligibility. Colleges do not require this same population of
students to fill out the standard financial aid forms and be
assessed through the regular financial aid process.
AB 888
Page 3
Recent Legislation : AB 2496 (Washington) of 2000 would have
created the same book grant, to be administered by the Board of
Governors, with slightly different eligibility criteria. That
bill was supported by the Committee but held in Senate
Appropriations.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support/ Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Paul Mitchell / HIGHER ED. /
(916)319-3960