(a) Commencing with the 2018-19 academic year, each participating community college shall provide a grant award to a student pursuant to subdivision (b). The purpose of the grant award is to provide the student with additional financial aid to help offset the student’s total cost of community college attendance.

(b) A student attending a community college may receive a grant award pursuant to this section if the student meets all of the following requirements:

(1) The student receives a Cal Grant B or C award pursuant to Chapter 1.7 (commencing with Section 69430) of Part 42 of Division 5.

(2) The student is making satisfactory academic progress at the community college under criteria required by the applicable federal standards published in Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The criteria applied by the community college for determining satisfactory academic progress shall, to the extent consistent with applicable federal standards, provide that homelessness, as defined as a “homeless individual” within the meaning of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 11302(a)), or as defined as a “homeless child or youth,” as defined in subsection (2) of Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 11434a(2)), 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 community college may consider this extenuating circumstance, in its discretion, to the extent consistent with federal standards, to alter or excuse compliance with those progress requirements.

(3) The student is a California resident or is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under Section 68130.5 or 76140.

(c) (1) The students who meet the applicant criteria pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be eligible for the following grant amounts:

(A) One thousand two hundred ninety-eight dollars ($1,298) per semester, or quarterly equivalent, for eligible students who enroll in 12, 13, or 14 units per semester, or the quarterly equivalent number of units.

(B) Four thousand dollars ($4,000) per semester, or quarterly equivalent, for eligible students who enroll in 15 units per semester, or the quarterly equivalent number of units.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), commencing with the 2023-24 academic year, the students meeting the applicant criteria pursuant to subdivision (b) who are current or former foster youth, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 69433.6, shall be eligible for a grant amount of five thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($5,250) per semester, or quarterly equivalent, if they enroll in 12 or more units per semester, or the quarterly equivalent number of units.

(3) (A) If funding is available after making awards to students in the primary terms, a community college may grant additional awards to students who take a sufficient number of units during the summer term to bring their total number of academic units to 24 units or more for the academic year. The chancellor’s office shall work with colleges to determine the summer grant amounts based on available funds.

(B) It is the intent of the Legislature that the available grants would be prorated to allocate a larger amount to students who take a sufficient number of units for a total of 30 units or more for the academic year.

(d) (1) To the extent practicable, a grant award shall be awarded at the same time as a recipient’s overall financial aid package.

(2) The grant award shall be considered a supplemental grant, and shall not supplant any other grant, fee waiver, or scholarship aid received by the student, including, but not necessarily limited to, federal grants, Cal Grant awards, institutional grants, merit-based scholarships, and athletic scholarships.

(3) The grant award shall be based upon the financial need of the applicant, and shall not exceed the calculated financial need for any individual applicant. The minimum level of financial need of applicants shall be determined by the commission pursuant to Section 69432.9.

(4) The grant award identified in subdivision (c) shall be proportionally reduced if the amount of funding appropriated in the annual Budget Act for this purpose is insufficient to fully fund the total number of students awarded a grant.

(e) (1) Each participating community college shall administer the grant award pursuant to the requirements of this section.

(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that a student is enrolled in a program of study and has completed an education plan identifying courses, a sequence of courses, key progress of milestones, and other requirements the student must complete to earn an associate degree, career technical education certificate, other community college certificate, or meet transfer requirements.

(3) Each participating community college shall encourage students to enroll in a sufficient number of units per semester, quarter, or summer term to be considered on track to obtain a certificate, associate degree for transfer, or associate degree or transfer to a four-year university within two academic years or within three academic years if a student is required to take basic skill courses by the community college.

(f) This section shall not be operative in a fiscal year unless funding has been provided for this section for that fiscal year in the annual Budget Act or another statute.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 50, Sec. 15. (SB 117) Effective July 10, 2023. Conditionally inoperative as prescribed by its own provisions.)