Student financial aid: application deadlines: extension.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify if existing rules still require formal requests for deadline extensions in most cases, so this claim was removed.

Extending Financial Aid Application Deadlines

This law allows the Student Aid Commission to extend financial aid application deadlines up to an additional 30 days without a formal request if there is a delay in opening the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

What This Bill Does

• Allows the Student Aid Commission to postpone financial aid application deadlines by up to 30 calendar days without needing a formal request from students or schools, if there was a delay in starting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• This extension can happen only when the commission declares that there was a delay in opening the FAFSA.
• The law already lets the commission extend deadlines during declared emergencies, and this new rule adds another reason to do so.

Who It Names or Affects

• Students applying for financial aid through California’s Cal Grant Program and Middle Class Scholarship Program.
• The Student Aid Commission, which manages these programs.

Terms To Know

Student Aid Commission

A state agency that runs student financial aid programs in California.

Cal Grant Program

A set of financial aid awards for college students in California, including Cal Grants A, B, C, and T.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify how long the deadline extension can be beyond the initial 30 days.
• It is unclear what criteria the commission will use to declare a delay in FAFSA opening.

Official Summary Text

AB 313, Ortega.
Student financial aid: application deadlines: extension.
Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education.
Existing law, the Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards, the Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Expanded Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement Awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards, the Cal Grant C Awards, and the Cal Grant T Awards under the administration of the commission. Existing law also establishes the Middle Class Scholarship Program under the commission’s administration. Existing law establishes eligibility requirements for
awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. The eligibility requirements under these programs and other financial aid programs administered by the commission include meeting various application deadlines.
Existing law requires the commission to grant a postponement of an application deadline of up to 30 calendar days for any financial aid program administered by the commission pursuant to a formal request, as provided. Existing law authorizes the commission to grant a postponement of an application deadline of up to an additional 30 calendar days, without submission of a formal request, if the commission finds that a state of emergency declared by the Governor or the President of the United States has occurred.
This bill would additionally authorize the commission to grant the above-described postponement of an application deadline without submission of a formal request if the commission finds that there was a delay in the opening of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, as declared by the commission.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF