Community colleges: students enrolled in early childhood education or child development courses: fee waivers.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law authorizes community colleges to charge students a fee of $46 per unit per semester, and also authorizes the waiver of this fee for students who meet specified criteria. This bill would require the governing board of each community college district to waive the fee requirement for any student enrolled in certain child development courses who has declared a specified child development major and who has completed and submitted either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application. To the extent this bill would impose a new duty on a community college district, this bill would create 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.