AB 91

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) 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 establishes community college districts throughout the state and authorizes them to operate campuses and provide instruction to students. Existing law authorizes community college districts to admit nonresident students, and requires that nonresident students be charged a nonresident tuition fee unless an exemption applies. Existing law includes among these exemptions any nonresident who is both a citizen and resident of a foreign country if the nonresident has demonstrated a financial need, as specified. Existing law authorizes the attendance of certain exempted, nonresident students to be reported as resident full-time equivalent students (FTES) for state apportionment purposes. This bill would additionally exempt from the nonresident tuition fee a nonresident, low-income student who is a resident of Mexico, registers for lower division courses at a San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges Association (SDICCCA) college, as defined, and has residence within 45 miles of the California-Mexico border, as provided. The bill would, in any academic year, prohibit more than 150 FTES at each SDICCCA college from being exempted from payment of the nonresident tuition fee. The bill would require the San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges Association to adopt rules and regulations to determine a student's residence classification, establish procedures for an appeal and review of the residence classification, and determine whether a student is low income. The bill would require the governing board of a community college district with a SDICCCA college to, as a condition of its students receiving the exemption described above, approve the association's rules and regulations, as specified. The bill would additionally authorize the attendance of nonresident students who receive the exemption related to SDICCCA to be reported as resident FTES for state apportionment purposes, as specified. The bill would provide that a nonresident student exempted under the provision related to SDICCCA is not exempted pursuant to the existing provision involving any nonresident who is both a citizen and resident of a foreign country. The bill would require SDICCCA, on or before January 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature that includes, but is not limited to, the demographics, attendance rate, and class completion rate of nonresident students who receive the exemption described above. The bill's provisions would become inoperative on July 1, 2028, and would be repealed on January 1, 2029, as specified. (2) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges Association.