SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Students at some private colleges and trade schools could receive more state grant money under one of several financial-aid measures that passed a legislative committee Tuesday.
The Assembly Higher Education Committee approved a bill to restore the maximum Cal Grant award to $9,708. The amounts students could receive from the financial aid program were reduced in last year’s state budget.
Grants to students at certain private, for-profit colleges were cut to $4,000 for the upcoming year. Students at private, nonprofit colleges saw a smaller decrease to $9,084 this fall and $8,056 next year.
The Republican-sponsored bill from Assemblywoman Beth Gaines, of Rocklin, and Assemblyman Mike Morrell, of Rancho Cucamonga, would increase the maximum grants beginning with the 2013-14 school year.
Supporters said their measure, AB1085, will prevent students from dropping out or transferring to public institutions.
“We need to keep college affordable so students can obtain a college degree and succeed in whatever career path they choose,” Gaines said in a news release.
During the 2012-13 school year, about 269,000 higher education students in California received Cal Grant awards totaling $1.6 billion, according to legislative staff.
The bill would not alter standards approved last year preventing students from using Cal Grants at institutions with low graduation and high loan default rates.
