BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



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          SENATE THIRD READING


          SB  
          906 (Beall)


          As Amended  August 18, 2016


          Majority vote


          SENATE VOTE:  38-0


           -------------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Committee       |Votes|Ayes                   |Noes                 |
          |                |     |                       |                     |
          |                |     |                       |                     |
          |                |     |                       |                     |
          |----------------+-----+-----------------------+---------------------|
          |Higher          |13-0 |Medina, Baker, Bloom,  |                     |
          |Education       |     |Chávez, Irwin,         |                     |
          |                |     |Jones-Sawyer, Levine,  |                     |
          |                |     |Linder, Low, Olsen,    |                     |
          |                |     |Santiago, Weber,       |                     |
          |                |     |Williams               |                     |
          |                |     |                       |                     |
          |----------------+-----+-----------------------+---------------------|
          |Human Services  |7-0  |Bonilla, Grove,        |                     |
          |                |     |Arambula, Lopez,       |                     |
          |                |     |Maienschein,           |                     |
          |                |     |                       |                     |
          |                |     |                       |                     |
          |                |     |Mark Stone, Thurmond   |                     |
          |                |     |                       |                     |
          |----------------+-----+-----------------------+---------------------|
          |Appropriations  |20-0 |Gonzalez, Bigelow,     |                     |








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          |                |     |Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, |                     |
          |                |     |Calderon, Chang, Daly, |                     |
          |                |     |Eggman, Gallagher,     |                     |
          |                |     |Eduardo Garcia,        |                     |
          |                |     |Holden, Jones,         |                     |
          |                |     |Obernolte, Quirk,      |                     |
          |                |     |Santiago, Wagner,      |                     |
          |                |     |Weber, Wood, Chau      |                     |
          |                |     |                       |                     |
          |                |     |                       |                     |
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          SUMMARY:  Conforms 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 existing  
          state higher education program definitions; deletes the sunset  
          on the extension of priority registration to foster youth or  
          former foster youth; and, deletes the sunset on the extension of  
          priority registration to Extended Opportunity Programs and  
          Services (EOPS) students and Disabled Student Programs and  
          Services (DSPS) students at the CCC; and, double-joints this  
          measure to AB 801 (Bloom).
          EXISTING LAW:   


          1)Requires, if the postsecondary institution administers a  
            priority enrollment system for registration, that the CSU and  
            each CCC district, and requests that the UC, grant priority  
            enrollment, to any current or former foster youth, and repeals  
            these provisions on January 1, 2017 (Education Code (EC)  
            Section 66025.9).
          2)Requires each CCC district that administers a priority  
            enrollment system for registration to grant priority  
            registration for enrollment to students in the EOPS program  
            and to disabled students, as specified, and repeals these  
            provisions on January 1, 2017 (EC Section 66025.91)









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          3)Establishes the CCC EOPS to extend opportunities for community  
            college education to all who may profit regardless of  
            economic, social and educational status, and to encourage  
            local community colleges to identify students affected by  
            economic, language, and social disadvantages and encourage  
            their enrollment and achievement of their educational  
            objectives and goals.  Requires the CCC Board of Governors  
            (BOG) to adopt regulations with the objective that the EOPS  
            programs include qualified counseling staff, facilitation of  
            transfer, and enrollment in courses necessary to develop  
            successful study skills, as specified.  Authorizes local  
            community college governing boards to provide services that  
            may include loans or grants for living costs, student fees,  
            and transportation costs and also scholarships,  
            work-experience and job placement programs (EC Sections 69640  
            to  69656).


          FISCAL EFFECT:  According to the Senate Appropriations  
          Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.


          COMMENTS:  Background on DSPS and EOPS.  Disabled Student  
          Programs and Services provide support services, specialized  
          instruction and accommodations to students with a disability,  
          allowing them to fully participate and benefit from an equitable  
          college experience.  The overall mission of DSPS is to provide  
          exemplary instruction, support services and access to students  
          with disabilities.  DSPS will support students with disabilities  
          in educationally related activities consistent with the mission  
          and vision of the institution and in compliance with federal and  
          state laws. 


          Extended Opportunity Programs and Services, a state funded  
          program, was created to enable low income, educationally  
          disadvantaged students "affected by language, social, and  
          economic handicaps" to achieve a college education (SB 164  








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          (Alquist), Chapter 1579, Statutes of 1969). EOPS works to help  
          students succeed by providing educational opportunities,  
          encouragement, and support services.   Students are eligible for  
          EOPS if all of the following requirements are met:


          1)Student is a California resident;


          2)Student  qualifies for the CCC BOG Tuition Fee Waiver (A or B)  
            through the Financial Aid Office;


          3)Student is enrolled full-time (12 or more units);


          4)Student has completed less than 60 degree applicable college  
            units; and,


          5)Student is educationally disadvantaged as determined by EOPS.


          Foster Youth.  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.  Special  
          programs are needed in order to support foster students'  
          academic and emotional needs; helping to set them up for success  
          in college and beyond.


          According to a 2013 study by the Center for Social Services and  
          Research that measured the academic achievement of foster youth,  
          students with disabilities, and low-income students, the  
          research found that said 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  








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          these student populations is much less likely to hold a  
          post-secondary education degree.  For foster youth, 6% will hold  
          a degree, 10% of low-income students will hold a degree, and 29%  
          of students with a disability will hold a degree.  To note,  
          approximately half of the population that is not low-income,  
          disabled, or in foster care, hold a degree.


          Current law allows for these student populations to receive  
          college priority registration; however, this priority will end  
          on January 1, 2017.  This measure calls for the removal of the  
          sunset.


          Need for this measure.  According to the author, the eligibility  
          for priority registration for foster youth applies to those  
          students who were in foster care on or after their 18th birthday  
          and under age 23.  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."


          To note, currently, foster youth are eligible for priority  
          registration if they were in foster care on or after their 18th  
          birthday and under age 23.  Under this measure, foster youth  
          would be eligible for priority registration if they were in  
          foster care on or after their 16th birthday, and were under age  
          26.


          The author argues that, "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  








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          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." 


          How many?  CCC.  The annual 2014-15 systemwide enrolled count of  
          EOPS students was 75,776; 121,410 DSPS students, and 15,227  
          foster youth out of approximately 2.3 million CCC students.  


          CSU.  The annual 2014-15 systemwide number of enrolled foster  
          youth is not available.  According to the CSU Chancellor's  
          Office, foster youth data is not collected at the systemwide  
          level.  Additionally, the data is all self-identified at the  
          campus level.


          UC.   According to the UC Office of the President, foster youth  
          self-identify on the UC admissions application.  The Fall 2015  
          systemwide number of enrolled foster youth was 1,587.  


          Related legislation.  AB 2506 (Thurmond) of the current  
          legislative session, which is awaiting a hearing in the Senate  
          Education Committee, would, among others, address the low rates  
          of college persistence and completion among foster youth in the  
          state, by requiring the California Student Aid Commission to  
          provide a Chafee Educational and Training Voucher to qualified  
          students attending qualifying institutions.


          AB 595 (Gomez), Chapter 704, Statutes of 2013, required a  
          community college district that administers a priority  
          enrollment system to grant priority registration for enrollment  
          to students in the EOPS programs and to disabled students, as  
          defined; and also established the Legislature's intent that any  








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          student who receives priority registration for enrollment shall  
          comply with the requirements of the Student Success Initiative.


          AB 2133 (Blumenfield), Chapter 400, Statutes of 2012,  required  
          a veteran to use his/her four years of priority enrollment at  
          the UC, CSU, and CCC within 15 years of leaving active duty;  
          and, required that veterans receiving priority enrollment comply  
          with the requirements of the Student Success Act of 2012.


          AB 194 (Beall), Chapter 458, Statutes of 2011, until July 1,  
          2017, required a community college district to grant priority  
          enrollment for registration to any current or former foster  
          youth, if the institution already administers a priority  
          enrollment system, and repeals these provisions on January 1,  
          2017.


          SB 813 (Committee on Veteran Affairs), Chapter 375, Statutes of  
          2011, extended the time frame for eligibility for priority  
          enrollment for veterans at the UC, CSU, and CCC from two years  
          to four years.  


          SB 272 (Runner), Chapter 356, Statutes of 2007, extended  
          priority enrollment at the UC, CSU and CCC for a veteran who is  
          a resident of California and who has received an honorable  
          discharge, a general discharge, or an other than honorable  
          discharge for any academic term attended at one of these  
          institutions within two years of leaving state or federal active  
          duty, if the institution already administered a priority  
          enrollment system.




          Analysis Prepared by:                                             
                          Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960   








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          FN: 0004303