The California Dream Act (AB 540) and Its Impact on High School

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1 Cal Grants and the California Dream Act of 2011 Presented by the California Student Aid Commission

2 First.. An Overview of the California Dream Act of 2011 which was made law by the passage of 2 bills

3 AB 130 Dream Act, Part I Signed into law on July 25, 2011 Becomes effective January 1, 2012 Allows students who meet AB 540 criteria to apply for & receive non state-funded scholarships at the public colleges and universities, including scholarships funded through private donors, alumni contributions, or individual departmental efforts For information about how and when to apply, AB 540 students must contact their financial aid offices

4 AB 131 Dream Act, Part II Signed into law on October 8, 2011 Becomes effective January 1, 2013 Allows students who meet AB 540 criteria to Apply for & receive institutional grants like UC Grant, State University Grant, Educational Opportunity Program and Educational Opportunity Program & Services fee waivers Apply for & receive Board of Governors fee waivers at the California Community Colleges Apply for & receive state financial aid, including Cal Grants and Chafee Foster Youth Grants for use at eligible public and private institutions

5 AB 131 Dream Act Cal Grant online application (Dream App) will be activated January 1, 2013 to gather financial & other information Dream Act Cal Grants may be first used in the school year Dream applicants must meet all other Cal Grant requirements For information about how and when to apply for institutional grants and fee waivers, AB 540 students must contact their financial aid offices

6 Next.. A Look at Those Cal Grant Eligibility Requirements

7 Types of Cal Grants for which Dream Act Students May Now Qualify Cal Grant A High School Entitlement CCC Transfer Entitlement Cal Grant B High School Entitlement CCC Transfer Entitlement Cal Grant C

8 General Cal Grant Eligibility Requirements These are required of all Cal Grant participants whether they are Dream Act or non-dream Act students. Be a California resident* Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen* Meet Selective Service requirements Attend an eligible California School Not be in default on a Federal student loan Not have earned a BA/BS degree Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress Not be incarcerated Be enrolled at least half-time *The California Dream Act of 2011 essentially substitutes the AB 540 provisions for these requirements.

9 Cal Grant A Low to middle income students (Average family income of new Cal Grant A recipients is $44,100) Associate and Bachelor degree programs only Can be used for tuition and fees only Maximum annual award amounts CCC - Not paid, but held in reserve CSU - up to $5,472 UC - up to $12,192 Independent, private for-profit - up to $9,708 (Current policy provides that Cal Grant awards are increased to meet fee increases at the public universities)

10 Types of Cal Grant A Awards High School Entitlement Cal A Students applying in their senior year of HS or in the year after they graduate or Students applying within one year of passing the GED Uses HS GPA only (minimum 3.00) CCC Transfer Entitlement Cal A Students transferring from a CCC into a bachelor s degree program Must have graduated from a CA high school after 7/1/00 and not yet be age 28 Uses CCC GPA only (minimum 2.40) Potentially, an unlimited # of awards

11 Cal Grant B Very low income students (Average family income of new Cal Grant B recipients is $17,200) AA, BA and Certificate programs of at least 1 year Can be used for any school expenses including tuition and fees* All students at all schools get a $1,551 Access payment each academic year Students beyond their first year also get a tuition benefit equal to the Cal Grant A tuition and fee amount if attending a school other than a community college *first time freshmen are not eligible for tuition & fee component of award

12 Types of Cal Grant B Awards High School Entitlement Cal B Students applying in their senior year of HS or in the year after they graduate or Students applying within one year of passing the GED Uses HS GPA only (minimum 2.00) CCC Transfer Entitlement Cal B Students transferring from a CCC into a bachelor s degree program Must have graduated from a CA High school after 7/1/00 and not yet be age 28 Uses CCC GPA only (minimum 2.40) Potentially, an unlimited # of awards

13 Cal Grant C Low income students (Average family income of new Cal Grant C recipients is $18,700) Can be used for tuition & fees and books & supplies AA and certificate career technical programs only Maximum annual award amounts Tuition and Fees - $2,592 At private vocational schools Books and Supplies - $576 At private vocational schools and Community colleges Scored based on occupational factors and educational history Only 7,761 awards per year

14 The Applications FAFSA or CA Dream App (establishes financial need) FAFSA submitted online at fafsa.gov or by mail CA Dream App submitted online at calgrants.org (starting Jan 1, 2013) GPA Verification (establishes merit) Submitted by school to CSAC electronically or Submitted by student via mail (Cal Grant Verification Form to be available through the Dream App) Transfer Entitlement Verification Form CSAC will send this to all students who meet Transfer Entitlement requirements Cal Grant C Supplemental Form CSAC will send this to all students who meet Cal Grant C requirements

15 Non-SSN GPA Pilot Program For , CSAC has successfully implemented a pilot program for the submission of Cal Grant GPAs without SSNs Matching of GPAs to FAFSAs can now be done using other application elements for high schools that don t collect SSNs This will also prove beneficial when we begin collecting Dream Apps without SSNs

16 Now.. Let s talk about designing the CA Dream App and Outreach

17 Consultation CSAC staff has begun meeting with various groups and plans more meetings throughout the year Current AB 540 students Immigrant advocacy groups High school counselors, college counselors, and college financial aid officers Representatives from higher education segmental offices Outreach is beginning now through our Cash for College workshops

18 For more information about the Cal Grant and Dream Act, please contact Student Support Services at the California Student Aid Commission Or visit