BACKGROUND
The Cal Grant financial aid program is the largest and most generous in the country, but it is overly complex, does not align with the federal program, and lacks a focus on equity. It leaves out hundreds of thousands of students each year who are older and took more than a year to get to college after finishing high school, and less than ten percent of community college students currently receive a Cal Grant.
Reforming the CalGrant system is a key priority for our student partners, including all three college and university student governance organizations. In June, Karina joined student leaders and elected officials at an in-person rally at the Capitol calling for legislative action.
Public Advocates’ Higher Education Team is supporting AB 1456 (Medina and McCarty),which would eliminate many of the eligibility barriers, prioritize Cal Grants to students with the greatest economic need, and streamline the program. On April 16 and May 20 of 2021 we signed-on to letters with our partners in the Affordability Coalition supporting AB 1456,while pressing for amendments to extend entitlement awards to all students who meet eligibility requirements for federal Pell awards and strengthening access to state financial aid to cover the total cost of attendance, which is a significant obstacle to college access for low-income students and students of color.
The Coalition also urged legislative leaders to include targeted and equitable investments in state financial aid in the 2021–22 Budget.
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