Student financial aid: Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards: access costs.

Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Act, establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Transfer Cal Grant Entitlement Awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards, the Cal Grant C Awards, and the Cal Grant T Awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. With respect to the Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards, the act requires that they be used only for tuition or student fees, or both, in a for-credit instructional program with a length of not less than 2 academic years. This bill would authorize a student whose tuition or fees, or both, are paid in full by a grant-in-aid, including, but not limited to, veterans' educational benefits received pursuant to the federal Post 9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008 or the Montgomery GI Bill to use a Cal Grant A Entitlement Award for access costs, as defined to mean living expenses and expenses for transportation, supplies, and books, not to exceed that student's financial need or the amount to which access costs awarded under the Cal Grant B Program are limited, whichever is less.