Legislative Update: Higher Ed Bill Headed to Governor's Desk

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-44th Assembly District) hopes the second time's the charm.

A legislative measure aimed at , which former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed last fall, is headed to the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown. The state Legislature approved the bill Wednesday.  

AB 91 would reduce the number of forms students have to fill out to access finanial aid. Currently, students apply for a Board of Governors waiver or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or both. Portantino’s bill creates a three-year pilot program at 10 community college campuses where FAFSA would be used as the primary financial aid application.

Portantino has said the problem with “extraneous documents’’ is that, “Students miss out on half a million dollars of unused federal aid every year” because steps are missed and papers overlooked. In addition to grants and loans, students have also missed out on work-study programs as well.

According to the the Oakland-based Institute for College Access and Success, only one-third of community college students complete the forms that would make them eligible for that federal aid.

"Our children deserve the opportunity for a good education and our economy demands a well trained workforce,” Portantino said in a prepared statement.

“I think it’s important to make these cumbersome processes simple so eligible students get all the financial help they can.’’