NCCPC’s Policy Agenda
We’re here to support our students, families, and communities across Northern California!
#BetterFAFSA Updates
UPDATE as of March 26, 2024 – Signed by Governor Newsom!
Assembly Bill 1887 (Cervantes) to move the state’s financial aid application deadline from April to May 2 was signed by Governor Newsom last night! Introduced by Assemblymember Cervantes, AB 1887 allows students and families more time to complete their applications, especially given the recent federal fixes.
Track the progress of the bill with CalMatters HERE.
Per CalMatters, “Gov. Gavin Newsom, without surprise, signed it today. All told, the proposal went from bill to legislation in less than two weeks — a rapid pace by Sacramento standards.” This is a huge win for the field!
The bill is a response to the ongoing implementation issues with the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which has left many California students unable to apply for financial aid and wreaked havoc on the enrollment timeline for colleges and universities.
Learn more by reading the article California extends student financial aid deadline.
The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) announces that the state priority deadline for Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship has been extended from April 2, 2024, to May 2, 2024. This extension was codified through the signing of Assembly Bill 1887 (Cervantes) by Governor Gavin Newsom on March 25, 2024. As an urgency measure, this bill takes effect immediately.
As a result, students who submit a 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a 2024-25 California Dream Act Application (CADAA) by May 2, 2024, will be considered on time for Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship consideration. CSAC is providing an updated Social Media Toolkit with graphics, captions, and a flier announcing new webinars through the extended May 2 deadline.
The Commission and our partners will continue to offer free Cash for College workshops and webinars in April to assist families and students completing a FAFSA or CADAA. These webinars answer common questions about applying for financial aid and financial aid experts are available live to answer questions for students and families. The Cash for College webinar schedule is now live. Workshops hosted by our community partners can be found on the Cash for College Workshop page. Students should never have to pay for financial aid assistance.
FAFSA students who have a contributor who does not have a Social Security Number (SSN) are facing unique and extensive barriers to completing a 2024-25 FAFSA. CSAC is offering specific webinars for these students and the financial aid professionals serving them. Please see the attached flyer for webinar dates between now and May 2. CSAC has also established an email list specifically for students, families, and financial aid advocates on this issue. The email list will provide timely updates, valuable resources, and essential information on efforts related to this issue as more solutions become available.
Please find HERE the new webinar schedule leading to the May Extension.
As of January 2023, NCCPC has a 3-Year Policy Agenda to advance education equity and holistic student success in Northern California and beyond. NCCPC’s Policy Agenda includes:
- Our three Foundational Principles: 1) Provide a thoughtful local context, 2) Serve the highest needs students, and 3) Create successful conditions.
- Our four Issue Priorities: 1) Student economic resources; 2) Mental health, basic needs, and other supports; 3) Cradle-to-career data system; and 4) State investments in promise programs.
- Our four Functional Priorities: 1) Elevate and center STUDENT voices; 2) Convene DIVERSE community partners; 3) Advance IMPACTFUL policies through advocacy; and 4) Emphasize CLARITY & impact.
NCCPC’s staff provide the backbone function for this collective impact coalition. The Executive Director is the chief executive officer who drives all four (4) pillars along with the Steering Committee. Advancing Public Policy is one of our four pillars.
Our Policy Committee Co-Chairs drive our community-based approach and strategic direction to inform a Policy Agenda that utilizes public policy to meet the highest needs of our students while laying a foundation for transformative equity and holistic success in our communities.
Past Policy Co-Chairs include Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton, Director of Higher Education for Public Advocates and Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-18).
CalKIDS
The first step towards college
Go to CalKIDS.org and see if your student qualifies for any of the 3 categories; Low Income Public School Student, Foster Youth, and/or Homeless. Each category automatically qualifies them for $500! Up to $1,500 if all 3 are met.
Click the image to the right for an informational video on CalKIDS
How do we advance policy?
We support bills that motivate students to go to and stay in college
The “Status” of a bill is where it is located in the California State Legislature. The “Action Items” column has links to letters of support for corresponding bills.
Abbreviation Key:
AB – Assembly Bill | SB – Senate Bill | Asm Approps – Assembly Appropriations | Senate Approps – Senate Appropriations | LOS – Letter of Support
NCCPC-Sponsored Bill AB 288 California Ban on Scholarship Displacement Act of 2021 Signed into Law
THANK YOU to Joint Authors Asm. Lisa Calderon and Asm. Mia Bonta for your leadership!
As of September 30: AB 288 is Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 925, Statutes of 2022.
AB 288
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!
NCCPC, SoCal CAN, and Scholarship America worked together to create Know Your Rights Toolkits for your students. Please share them with your students, families, and colleagues!
- STUDENT Toolkit (published in March)
- PROVIDER & PRACTITIONER Toolkit (published in June)
- CAMPUS Toolkit (published in June)
California is the 5th state to join the MOVEMENT to ban the practice of scholarship displacement in the country.
Join us in Celebrating the Bill’s Passage!
From left to right and top down: Vice Chair Janae Aptaker, Executive Director Mer Curry Nuñez, and Chair David Silver
From left to right and top down: Executive Director Mer Curry Nuñez, SoCal CAN Executive Director Alison De Lucca, SoCal CAN Policy & Development Associate Jason Vazquez, and Scholarship America Director of Policy Kalwis Lo
NCCPC Policy Committee members at the October 10 Meeting
What is Scholarship Displacement?
- Northern California College Promise Coalition (Sponsor)
- Southern California College Access Network (SoCalCAN) (Co-Sponsor)
- Scholarship America (Co-Sponsor)
- Office of Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis
- Mayor Libby Schaaf, Oakland
- Mayor Sam Liccardo, City of San Jose
- Mayor London Breed, City and County of San Francisco
- Mayor Martha Guerrero, City of West Sacramento
- Treasurer, City and County of San Francisco Jose Cisneros
- 10,000 Degrees
- 100% College Prep Institute
- ACLU California Action
- Adelante Youth Alliance
- Alameda Chamber of Commerce
- Alliance College-Ready Public Schools
- Alliance for a Better Community
- American Association of University Women (AAUW) San Jose
- Ascending Lights Leadership Network
- Bay Area College Success Network
- Beyond 12
- BLU Educational Foundation
- Bold Through Partners, LLC
- Bresee Foundation
- Bright Prospect
- Bright Star Schools
- C5LA
- California State Student Association (CSSA)
- California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
- California Community Foundation
- California Edge Coalition
- California Faculty Associations
- California Federation of Teachers AFL-CIO
- California State Student Association
- California State University Dominguez Hills Toro Learning and Testing Center
- Center for Equitable Higher Education
- Children Youth and Family Collaborative
- Cities & People Advisors
- City of Rancho Cordova
- Coachella Valley Economic Partnership
- College Access Plan
- College Access, Readiness and Success
- College for All Coalition
- College Match
- College Track Los Angeles
- College Track, NorCalRegion
- Communities in Schools Los
Angeles - Community Coalition
- CSUDH
- Determined to Succeed
- El Monte Promise Foundation
- Elevate Your G.A.M.E.
- Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
- End Poverty in California (EPIC)
- Families In Schools
- Fulfillment Fund
- GENUP
- Growing Inland Achievement
- Hayward Promise Neighborhood
- Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA)
- Immigrants Rising
- Improve Your Tomorrow
- Inland Empire Community Foundation
- InnerCity Struggle
- Jewish Free Loan Association
- John Burton Advocates for Youth
- Kern Community Foundation
- KIPP Forward NorCal
- KIPP SoCal
- LEAD
- Let’s Go To College
- Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
- Los Angeles Education Partnership
- Los Angeles United Methodist Urban Foundation
- Mi Casa Es Tu Casa Inc
- Minds Matter of Los Angeles
- Moneythink
- MOSTe MOTIVATING OUR STUDENTS THROUGH EXPERIENCE
- Mt. San Antonio College
- Muslim Student Association (MSA) West
- National Association of Social Workers California Chapter (NASW-CA)
- National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA)
- NextGen California
- North Orange County Community College District
- Oakland Promise
- One Voice
- OneFuture Coachella Valley
- OneGoal Bay Area
- Operation Jump Start
- Our Voice: Communities for Quality Education
- Partnership for Los Angeles Schools
- Partnership Scholars Program
- Pedrozzi Scholarship Foundation
- Planting Justice
- Project Soar
- Public Advocates
- PUENTE Learning Center
- Pullias Center for Higher Education
- Ready to Succeed
- Reinvent Stockton Foundation
- Resilient Fruitvale Collaborative
- Richmond Promise
- Sacramento Region Community Foundation
- San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority
- San Jose Promise
- Sanctuary of Hope (SOH)
- Santa Clara University
- ScholarMatch
- Silicon Valley Education Foundation
- Stanislaus Community Foundation
- Stockton Scholars
- Students Rising Above
- Study Smart Tutors, Inc
- The Campaign for College Opportunity
- The Education Trust—West
- The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS)
- The Peninsula College Fund
- The San Diego Foundation
- The Unity Council
- Transformative Action Institute
- uAspire
- Umoja Community Education Foundation
- Uncommon Good
- United Friends of the Children
- UNITE-LA
- University of California Student Association (UCSA)
- YesSheCanCampaign
- YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles
- Young Invincibles
- and 204 individuals
And thank you to the organizations who submitted direct letters of support to the Senate Appropriations Committee!
- California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
- California State Student Association (CSSA)
- California Teachers Association
- Mt. San Antonio College
- National Association of Social Workers California Chapter (NASW-CA)
- North Orange County Community College District
- Office of Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis
Approximately 1 million students will be served by this bill including over Pell-eligible and CADAA financial aid-eligible students.
This bill would prohibit the displacement of financial aid awards due to receipt of private scholarships of students who are eligible for the: 1) Federal Pell Grant and/or 2) California Dream Act financial aid at both public and private institutions of higher education in the state of California.
WHY? Students who have financial need and receive private scholarships are unable to make full use of the scholarships awarded to them by private scholarship providers when institutions of higher education reduce students’ financial aid. When scholarship displacement occurs, financial aid is often reduced by an amount equivalent to any private scholarships awarded, leaving students with a zero net-benefit for their hard work. A recent survey found that 50% of private scholarship recipients had experienced scholarship displacement, with 62% having their institutional grants reduced
- Check out the AB 288 Fact Sheet (click here) and the bill language (click here) for more information.
-
Read more about the issue:
Our Policy Priorities
2022-2023 See NCCPC’s 3-Year Policy Agenda
Issue Priorities (4)
#1 STUDENT ECONOMIC RESOURCES
#2 MENTAL HEALTH, BASIC NEEDS, & OTHER SUPPORTS
#3 CRADLE-TO-CAREER DATA SYSTEM
- C2C Data System Implementation and Community Engagement
#4 STATE INVESTMENT IN PROMISE PROGRAMS
- College Savings Account (CSA) CalKIDS Program Implementation
More details about our policy priorities will be available in May 2023.
2021-2022 Policy Priorities focused on AB 288 Implementation
2020-2021
-
AB 288 CA Ban on Scholarship Displacement 2021
-
AB 1456 Cal Grant Reform Act
-
Cradle-to-Career System Budget Proposal
-
SB 737 Modernize Cal-SOAP
-
Enhanced Access to SNAP (EATS) Act
-
AB 469 Requiring LEA’s confirm completion of FAFSA or CADAA
-
SCA 5 Student Regent Bill
-
College Savings Account (CSA) Program Investments
Californians for College Affordability Member
The Coalition of Californians for College Affordability works to strengthen need-based financial aid in California so that all students can afford to attend and complete college, allowing the state’s workforce to remain competitive.
