SACRAMENTO (Press Release) – Comprehensive legislation, SB 15, by Senator Marty Block and Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León to improve access, affordability and undergraduate degree completion in four years was approved Wednesday, April 8, in the Senate Education Committee on a unanimous vote.
SB 15 addresses needs across all three higher education systems and California’s challenge to produce another one million adults with four year degrees by 2025. “We can’t sustain a global economy on the backs of students or by shortchanging our higher education systems,” said Block, a former California State University (CSU) professor and dean as well as chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee #1 which deals with education funding. “The benefits to the state and our residents are indisputable,” Block said.
According to the Campaign for College Opportunity, Californians between the ages of 25 and 64 who complete at least a Bachelor of Arts degree are expected to earn an additional $1.3 million in wages and salary and receive more than additional $1.5 million in total personal income. In addition, students completing their degrees within four years are more likely to reduce their education costs and contribute to the state economy sooner. The Campaign for College Opportunity also estimates that students will spend an additional $26,000 for every additional year they take to complete their degree. Undergraduates completing their degree in six years will spend $58,000 more on expenses such as tuition and books and earn $52,900 less over their lifetime than someone who graduated in four years.
“A college degree has become an impossible dream for too many and that is threatening our economy,” said Senate leader De León. “In ten years California will need over one million more college graduates than it’s producing to sustain economic demands. We have a growing social and economic crisis that demands action, and SB 15 will address that crisis.”
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Keeping up with Jewish public officials: Marty Block
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Michele Siquerios, President of the Campaign for College Opportunity said, “This is the type of bold policy California needs to turn around our system of higher education to ensure more students can go to college, graduate, and meet our workforce and economic needs. We applaud Senators De León and Block for proposing such an ambitious plan and look forward to working alongside them to shepherd this student-centered legislation moving forward.”
The measure’s provisions include:
- Establishing the Graduation Incentive Grant (GIG) for CSU students to encourage undergraduate completion of 30 units a year to them place them on a track to complete their degree in four years.
- Adding 7,500 additional Cal Grant Competitive Awards which serve older and non-traditional students.
- Repealing the 11% Cal Grant Award reduction for students attending private, non-profit universities that is scheduled for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which maintains the maximum grant award at $9,084.
- Creating a student CIG Grant Award provided for three years as follows:
- $1,000 for completing 30 units by the end of year one.
- $1,500 for completing 60 units by the end of year two.
- $2,000 for completing 90 units by the end of year three.
SB 15 also states the Legislature’s intent to provide funding to eliminate the UC’s proposed five percent fee increase and provide both the CSU and CSU with additional funding to create more course offerings and additional support services to students.
Minh Triet Dao, a student witness with Advancing Justice – Los Angeles testified about the need for additional support services. “I am a first generation Vietnamese American college student and recently transferred to Cal State Los Angeles after spending four years at Santa Monica College. It took me longer to transfer from community college because of my multiple responsibilities, such as taking care of my elderly parents and looking after my older brother who has cerebral palsy. SB 15 will help me and my family by putting more funding into public higher education, which will bring in more resources such as increased financial aid, courses, and student services.”
The bill is supported by numerous education organizations, including: The California State University, AICCU, the Campaign for College Opportunity and the Southern California College Access Network. SB 15 is also supported by business organizations such as the North Bay Leadership Council and the Los Angeles and San Francisco Chambers of Commerce.
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Preceding provided by State Sen. Marty Block
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