Bill > AB243

This bill aims to support students who have been in the foster care system or under juvenile court jurisdiction by making it easier for them to obtain financial aid for higher education. Specifically, the bill allows personnel from child welfare departments, probation departments, or local educational agencies to provide a sworn statement (signed under penalty of perjury) to help these students adjust their financial aid dependency status. Financial aid administrators at California State University, California Community Colleges, and the University of California must accept these sworn statements as sufficient documentation when determining a student's unusual circumstances for financial aid purposes. The bill also provides these agencies the ability to share limited, confidential information about a student's foster care or juvenile court history with higher education institutions to help the student apply, register, enroll, or obtain financial aid. The information must be kept confidential, used only for specified purposes, and destroyed after three years. Intentional violations of the confidentiality provisions could result in a misdemeanor charge with a potential fine up to $500. The bill applies to both public and private postsecondary educational institutions and is designed to reduce barriers for students who have been in the foster care system or under juvenile court jurisdiction.

Budget and Finance, Education, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB243