Student financial aid: deferment of fees and costs: foster youth.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify if community colleges will definitely receive state funding or the exact nature of the reimbursement process for mandated costs.

Helping Foster Youth with College Costs

This law helps foster youth and former foster youth by allowing colleges in California to delay charging them fees until they receive financial aid money.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the California State University, community college districts, private postsecondary educational institutions, and independent higher education institutions that get state help to not charge unpaid enrollment fees for foster youth or former foster youth when they first join a school.
• Requests the University of California to do the same as other schools but does not require it.
• Allows these colleges to wait until students receive their financial aid money before charging them any unpaid fees.

Who It Names or Affects

• Foster youth and former foster youth who want to attend California State University or private postsecondary educational institutions that receive state financial assistance.
• Community college districts in California.
• The University of California is asked but not required to follow these rules.

Terms To Know

Foster Youth

A child who lives with a foster family because they cannot live with their own parents or guardians.

Financial Aid Award

Money given to students by the government, schools, or other organizations to help pay for college expenses.

Limits and Unknowns

• The University of California is asked but not required to follow these rules.
• If community colleges need extra money because of this law, the state might have to give them funding.
• This bill has passed both chambers in the legislature and is waiting for final steps before becoming a law.

Official Summary Text

AB 2768, as introduced, Ahrens.
Student financial aid: deferment of fees and costs: foster youth.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions as the segments of postsecondary education in the state. Existing law establishes various programs that provide financial aid to students attending institutions in each of the segments.
This bill would require the California State University, community college districts, and private postsecondary educational institutions and independent institutions of higher education that receive state financial assistance to, and would request the University of California to, defer the unpaid portion of enrollment fees and costs for a student that is a foster youth or former foster youth, as defined, upon the student’s initial enrollment at the postsecondary educational
institutional until the student has received an initial disbursement of the student’s financial aid award, as provided. By imposing new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF