California SB 416

Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions as the segments of postsecondary education in this state. 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 establishes eligibility requirements for awards under the Cal Grant Program for participating students attending qualifying postsecondary educational institutions, and prescribes requirements that postsecondary educational institutions must comply with in order to be a qualifying postsecondary educational institution for purposes of the Cal Grant Program, including, among others, certain disclosure requirements. This bill would require, on or before April 1, 2026, the commission to convene a workgroup. The bill would require the workgroup to include, but not be limited to, the commission, all segments of postsecondary education, student organizations, and experts. The bill would require the workgroup to identify the common terms, definitions, and structure of financial aid offer letters sent by postsecondary educational institutions, and would require, on or before July 1, 2027, the workgroup to create a financial aid offer letter template. The bill would also require, on or before July 1, 2027, the workgroup to submit a report to the Legislature that includes the financial aid offer letter template. The bill would require, as part of the criteria to be a qualifying institution under the Cal Grant Program, an institution, by the start of the 2028–29 academic year, to use the financial aid offer letter template for all conditional offers of attendance, as specified.