Postsecondary education: student financial aid: Cal Grant Program awards.

(1) Existing law, the Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards, the Cal Grant 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. Existing law requires applicants for Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards and Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards to submit complete financial aid applications in the academic year of high school graduation or equivalent or in the academic year immediately following high school graduation for the immediately following award year. This bill would instead authorize applicants for these awards to submit financial aid applications in any academic year subsequent to their high school graduation or equivalent for the immediately following award year. (2) Existing law requires applicants for Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards, Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards, and California Community College Transfer Cal Grant Entitlement Awards to have graduated from high school or its equivalent during or after the 2000–01 academic year. This bill would repeal the eligibility requirement of these programs that the applicant have graduated from high school or its equivalent during or after the 2000–01 academic year. (3) Existing law requires applicants for Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards to have not reached 26 years of age by July 1 of the initial award year. Existing law requires applicants for a California Community College Transfer Cal Grant Entitlement Awards to not be 28 years of age or older by December 31 of an award year. This bill would repeal both of these requirements and make conforming changes.