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AB-313 • 2026

Student financial aid: application deadlines: extension.

Student financial aid: application deadlines: extension.

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Ortega
Last action
Official status
Chaptered
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify an effective date beyond stating it was chaptered in July 2025, leaving the exact start of enforcement unclear.

Extending Deadlines for Student Financial Aid Applications

This law allows California to extend financial aid application deadlines if there is a delay in opening the federal student aid form.

What This Bill Does

  • Authorizes the Student Aid Commission to postpone application deadlines without needing a formal request from schools or students when it finds that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid opened late.
  • Adds delays in federal forms as another reason, alongside states of emergencies declared by the Governor or President, to extend deadline dates.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students applying for state financial aid programs administered by the Student Aid Commission, such as Cal Grant awards and the Middle Class Scholarship Program.
  • The Student Aid Commission, which manages these state financial aid programs.
  • Postsecondary institutions that participate in these state-funded scholarship and grant programs.

Terms To Know

Student Aid Commission
The California state agency responsible for running student financial aid programs like Cal Grants.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
A federal form that students must fill out to apply for money from the U.S. government and states for college costs.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not set a specific date when this new rule takes effect.
  • It only applies if the Student Aid Commission officially declares that there was a delay in opening the federal form.
  • This change adds one more reason for extensions but does not remove existing rules about formal requests or emergencies.

Bill History

  1. California Legislative Information

    Chaptered

Official Summary Text

Student financial aid: application deadlines: extension.