SACRAMENTO, Calif. – On February 17, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced that they have reached an agreement on a budget package of immediate actions.
This package includes $100 million in emergency financial aid for qualifying low-income students carrying six or more units, with award amounts to be determined locally and made available by early April. The agreement also provides $20 million to re-engage students who have either left their community college studies because of the pandemic or to engage students at risk of leaving.
We thank and appreciate the timeliness of this action as students continue to struggle with basic needs and remain enrolled in college. Our students raised their voices in support of changing the unit requirement in budget hearings leading up to this agreement and we are grateful that our state’s leaders listened. We hope to continue partnering with Governor Newsom and the legislature in creating an equitable economic recovery for our students, community, and our state.
“Students' needs have been exacerbated during the pandemic so we thank the legislature and the governor for removing restrictions on the eligibility for the emergency grants so that more students can get the resources they need to be successful. Part-time students don’t have part-time needs so being able to focus more on these students is critical at this time. The Student Senate will continue to advocate to the legislature on their behalf to increase the resources they need.” Stephen Kodur, SSCCC President
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. The Student Senate for California Community College works to promote and safeguard access for current and future students to California public higher education in accordance with the Master Plan for Higher Education through system participatory governance, legislative and policy advocacy, and regional support and development and is the official voice of California community college students statewide.
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