Postsecondary education: Middle Class Scholarship Program.

Under existing law, the Middle Class Scholarship Program provides that an undergraduate student enrolled at the University of California or the California State University, or enrolled in upper division coursework in a community college baccalaureate program, and meeting certain requirements, is eligible for a scholarship award that, combined with other federal, state, and institutionally administered grants and fee waivers, totals up to 40% of the systemwide tuition and fees. Existing law, for the 2017–18 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, transfers, upon order of the Director of Finance, $117,000,000 from the General Fund to the Middle Class Scholarship Fund, and appropriates that sum to the Student Aid Commission for purposes of the scholarship program. This bill would instead require, for the 2018–19 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, that the amount of $117,000,000 or the total amount appropriated from the General Fund for allocation for the 2017–18 fiscal year for purposes of the program, whichever amount is larger, be appropriated from the General Fund and transferred to the Middle Class Scholarship Fund. The bill would delete the requirement that the Director of Finance order the transfer of the appropriated funds from the General Fund to the Middle Class Scholarship Fund. The bill would further require that, on and after July 1, 2018, the funds in the Middle Class Scholarship Fund would be continuously appropriated to the Student Aid Commission for allocation for purposes of the program, thereby making an appropriation.