Bill > AB1534

This bill, effective July 1, 2026, establishes new requirements for California postsecondary educational institutions that wish to disburse federal Workforce Pell Grant program funds to students enrolled in short-term educational programs. A "short-term program" is defined as an educational program lasting between 8 to 14 weeks with 150 to 599 hours of instruction. Before advertising or distributing these federal funds, institutions must obtain authorization from an unspecified state entity, referred to as the "authorized state entity," and meet all requirements set by the U.S. Department of Education. To receive authorization, institutions must demonstrate that their short-term programs have at least a 70% completion rate and a 70% job placement rate, verified by an independent auditor and the authorized state entity respectively, and provide extensive program and student-level data. The bill also establishes a California Workforce Pell Grant Advisory Board, composed of representatives from various state agencies, educational systems, and industry leaders, to advise on program processes and policies. Furthermore, institutions are prohibited from partnering with unaccredited entities, offering high-interest private loans for these programs, or charging tuition exceeding the available Pell Grant amount. The authorized state entity can revoke approval if an institution fails to meet annual requirements or is found to have engaged in fraudulent practices. The bill also clarifies that confidential student information collected for these purposes will only be disclosed to the authorized state entity, and any information not marked as confidential will be considered public.

Education

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1534