Postsecondary education: student financial aid: satisfactory academic progress.

(1) Existing law establishes the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, independent institutions of higher education, as defined, and private postsecondary educational institutions, as defined, 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. These student financial aid programs include the Cal Grant Program, the Chafee Educational and Training Vouchers Program, the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Community Service Scholarship Program, the California State Work-Study Program, the Middle Class Scholarship Program, and the California DREAM Loan Program, all of which require, for a student to qualify for aid, that the student make satisfactory academic progress as determined by the institution attended by the student. This bill would require that determinations of "satisfactory academic progress" by the institutions participating in these student aid programs consider homelessness, as specified, within the meaning of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as an extenuating circumstance for students who are otherwise unable to meet the requirements deemed to constitute "satisfactory academic progress" at the institutions, and that extenuating circumstance may be considered by the institutions to alter or excuse compliance with those progress requirements. (2) The California Community Colleges comprise 115 campuses throughout the state. The campuses of the California Community Colleges administer, among other programs, the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012 and the Community Colleges Student Success Completion Grant program, both of which require, for a student to qualify for participation, that the student make satisfactory academic progress, as specified. This bill, with respect to the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, would require that the determination of satisfactory academic progress by the community college consider homelessness, as specified, within the meaning of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as an extenuating circumstance for students who are otherwise unable to meet the requirements deemed to constitute "satisfactory academic progress" at that community college, an extenuating circumstance that may be considered by the institution to alter or excuse compliance with those progress requirements. The bill, with respect to the Community Colleges Student Success Completion Grant Program, would require, to the extent consistent with applicable federal standards, that the criteria applied by the community college for determining satisfactory academic progress provide that homelessness, as specified, within the meaning of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is an extenuating circumstance for students who are otherwise unable to meet the requirements deemed to constitute "satisfactory academic progress" at that community college. The bill would authorize the community college, if allowed by federal standards, to consider that extenuating circumstance to alter or excuse compliance with those progress requirements. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on community college districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.