Student financial aid: Adult Learners Grant Program: distance learning.

Existing law establishes the segments of postsecondary education in this state as the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, private postsecondary educational institutions, and independent institutions of higher education. Existing law establishes various programs that provide financial aid to students attending institutions in each of the segments. Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for administering state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. Existing law establishes the California Distance Learning Policy, which sets forth the guiding goal and principles for the usage of technology in postsecondary education. This bill would establish the Adult Learners Grant Program, to be administered by the Student Aid Commission and subject to an appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for its purposes. The bill would require the commission to make grants available to California residents who are at least 25 years of age, enrolled solely in distance education courses, as defined, at a qualifying institution of higher education, as defined, and pursuing a postsecondary degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential in a field with high employer need. The bill would require the commission to develop a grant application and to award grants to applicants with incomes that are less than the average individual or family monthly income, as defined. The bill would require the commission to prioritize grants based on at least one of 6 criteria, as provided. The bill would require the commission to certify the 3-year federal student loan cohort default rate to establish eligibility for private postsecondary educational institutions, as provided. This bill would require qualifying institutions of higher education to annually report information about program grantees to the commission, as provided. To the extent that this reporting requirement imposes new requirements on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize the commission to adopt regulations to implement the program, as provided, and require the commission to submit a report to the Legislature on program outcomes, as provided. The California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 provides, among other things, for student protections and regulatory oversight of private postsecondary institutions in the state. The act is enforced by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The act requires an independent institution of higher education that is exempt from the act to comply with all applicable state and federal laws. The act authorizes an independent institution of higher education that is exempt from the act to execute a contract with the bureau for the bureau to review and, as appropriate, act on complaints concerning the institution, as provided. The act is repealed on January 1, 2023. This bill would apply the requirement to comply with all applicable state and federal laws and extend the authority to contract with the bureau, as described above, to an institution of higher education institution that (1) is located out-of-state and has no physical presence in California, (2) grants undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, or both, and is either formed as a nonprofit corporation and accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, or is a public institution of higher education, and (3) is a qualifying institution of higher education for purposes of the Adult Learners Grant Program, as provided. The changes to the act made by this bill would be implemented only if the operation of the act is extended by another measure. 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.