Official Summary Text
SB 685, as amended, Cortese.
California State University: financial aid for homeless students: pilot program.
Special education: nonpublic schools and agencies.
Existing law sets forth a method for providing special education and related services to pupils with exceptional needs. Existing law permits, under certain circumstances, contracts to be entered into for the provision of those services by nonpublic, nonsectarian schools or agencies. Existing law defines “nonpublic, nonsectarian school” and “nonpublic, nonsectarian agency” for these purposes.
This bill would revise those definition provisions to instead define “nonpublic school” and “nonpublic agency.” The bill would specify that all references in law to “nonpublic, nonsectarian school” or “nonpublic, nonsectarian agency” shall instead refer to “nonpublic school” or “nonpublic agency,” thereby eliminating the requirement that nonpublic schools or agencies that
enter into contracts for the provision of special education services be nonsectarian.
Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in the state.
This bill, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, would establish the Financial Assistance for Students Experiencing Homelessness Pilot Program, administered by each participating campus, to provide financial assistance at
4 California State University campuses to California residents, or specified students who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition, who (1) have been accepted for enrollment at one of those campuses, (2) were homeless at any time during high school, and (3) will be between 17 and 26 years of age, inclusive, upon receipt of assistance.
This bill would require, commencing with the 2026–27 academic year, each participating campus to provide financial assistance for the balance of the qualifying student’s cost of attendance that exceeds the financial aid, excluding federal loans, the qualifying student receives during the first 4 years the qualifying student participates in the pilot program. The bill would require the qualifying student to meet certain requirements to receive financial assistance under the pilot program, as specified. The bill would require each participating campus to adopt policies to administer the pilot program
and to designate one existing employee as a liaison for qualifying students and prospective qualifying students, as provided.
This bill would require the office of the Chancellor of the California State University, on or before December 31, 2030, to submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the efficacy of the pilot program based on specified data collected from
each participating campus, as provided.
This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2031, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2032.