Community colleges: STEM course fees.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and establishes community college districts throughout the state that operate community colleges and provide instruction to students. Existing law requires community college districts to charge each student an enrollment fee of $46 per unit per semester. Existing law requires this fee to be waived for students meeting prescribed requirements. This bill would additionally require the board of governors to waive the fee, for enrollment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses only, for a student who graduated from a California high school after attending a California high school for at least 2 academic years. The bill would specify that the fee shall be waived only for the student's enrollment in STEM courses within 4 academic years from the date of his or her high school graduation. To the extent that this bill would impose new duties on community college districts, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.