BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 906 Page 1 Date of Hearing: August 3, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Lorena Gonzalez, Chair SB 906 (Beall) - As Amended May 19, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Higher Education |Vote:|13 - 0 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | |Human Services | | 7 - 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable: Yes SUMMARY: This bill: SB 906 Page 2 1)Modifies the definition of "foster youth or former foster youth," for the purposes of priority registration at the University of California (UC), the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges (CCC), to include a student under age 26 instead of under age 24, and deletes the January 1, 2017 sunset on priority registration for foster youth or former foster youth 2)Repeals the January 1, 2017 sunset on provisions providing priority registration at the CCC to Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) students, and Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) students. FISCAL EFFECT: Any costs for the segments to continue offering priority registration to the specified student cohorts will be minor and absorbable. Of the 2.3 million students enrolled in the CCC for 2014-15, about 76,000 were EOPS students, 121,000 were DSPS students, and 15,000 were foster youth or former foster youth. COMMENTS: 1)Background. DSPS provides support services, specialized instruction and accommodations to students with a disability, allowing them to fully participate and benefit from an equitable college experience. EOPS enables low income, educationally disadvantaged students "affected by language, social, and economic handicaps" to achieve a college education by providing educational opportunities, encouragement, and support services. According to the Foundation for California Community Colleges, each year, approximately 4,000 of California's foster youth turn 18 and become independent, many without the necessary skills to support themselves. SB 906 Page 3 A 2013 study by the Center for Social Services and Research measuring the academic achievement of foster youth, students with disabilities, and low-income students, found that these groups, "fared significantly worse than the general population in a range of areas, including, the percentage who initially enter community college and persist one year." Additionally, the Center found that by age 26, each of these student populations is much less likely to hold a post-secondary education degree. 2)Purpose. The author contends that this measure "removes the sunset date for the three categories of students to allow colleges to continue the priority registration process and also changes the eligibility criteria for foster youth to align with other existing programs. By removing the sunset, colleges will be able to continue to grant priority registration for foster youth, low-income, and disabled students, so it enables them to register for courses before the larger student population. Priority registration would allow them to secure required courses, shorten the time to degree completion and reduce financial aid utilization. In regards to changing the definition of foster youth, these youth are already at a disadvantage and have encountered many challenges throughout their lives. These students can't afford to have another barrier placed upon them. Many foster youth have shown success based on the offering of priority registration and additional support services." 3)Prior Legislation. AB 595 (Gomez), Chapter 704, Statutes of 2013, established priority registration for EOPS and DSPS students until January 1, 2017. AB 194 (Beall), Chapter 458, Statutes of 2011, established priority registration for current and former foster youth until January 1, 2017. SB 906 Page 4 Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081