CA SB291

Establishes the California Community College Student Financial Aid Program to provide need-based grant awards to eligible community college students at voluntarily participating colleges.

Eligible students must be California residents or exempt from nonresident tuition, complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or California Dream Act Application, maintain satisfactory academic progress, and be enrolled in an eligible program.

Colleges calculate grant awards by summing cost of attendance, subtracting expected family contribution, reasonable student contribution, and all gift aid received by the student.

Awards are adjusted based on enrollment intensity: three-quarter-time students receive 75% of calculated amount, half-time students receive 50%, and less-than-half-time students receive 25%.

Program is administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and requires future legislative appropriation to fund awards; the Board must report the reasonable student contribution amount to the Governor and Legislature by March 31 annually.