Public postsecondary education: exemption from nonresident tuition.

(1) Existing law exempts a student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, from paying nonresident tuition at the California State University and the California Community Colleges if the student meets certain requirements, including high school attendance in California for 3 or more years or attainment of credits earned in California from a California high school equivalent to 3 or more years of full-time high school coursework and a total of 3 or more years of attendance at California elementary and secondary schools. This bill would instead exempt a student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, from nonresident tuition at the California State University and the California Community Colleges if the student has a total of 3 or more years of attendance, or attainment of equivalent credits earned while in California, California high schools, California adult schools, campuses of the California Community Colleges, or a combination of those schools, as specified, or the student completes 3 or more years of full-time high school coursework, and a total of 3 or more years of attendance in California elementary schools, California secondary schools, or a combination of California elementary and secondary schools. The bill would also require that the student graduate from a California high school or attain the equivalent, attain an associate degree from a campus of the California Community Colleges, or fulfill minimum transfer requirements established for the University of California or the California State University for students transferring from campuses of the California Community Colleges. The bill would request the Regents of the University of California to enact exemptions from requirements to pay nonresident tuition for its students that are equivalent to those applicable to students of the California Community Colleges and the California State University pursuant to this bill. Because the bill would impose new duties on community college districts with respect to determining eligibility for exemptions from paying nonresident tuition, the bill would constitute a state-mandated local program. (2) 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. (3) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 68130.5 of the Education Code proposed by SB 244 to be operative only if this bill and SB 244 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.