In Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2014-15 preliminary budget, he has proposed to allocate an additional $14.9 million toward students who have lost Cal Grant eligibility status.
Under the current Cal Grant system, a student may permanently lose eligibility for a Cal Grant if his or her family income rises above the maximum income bracket, following the first year that student applies for a Cal Grant award.
In Brown’s recent budget proposal, though, he introduced a potential change to the Cal Grant system, which would allow students to reapply for awards each year despite losing eligibility status before.
The Cal Grant renewal process was conducted in this way up until a few years ago, according to Nicholas Valdivia, Cal State Long Beach director of financial aid.
He said the current Cal Grant renewal process has negatively impacted students.
CSU Spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp, said he is in favor of Brown’s proposal, as are many CSULB students.
Some students’ parents own small businesses with incomes that fluctuate each year, and some students may have parents who do not financially fund the student’s education.
The current Cal Grant system can stress any student, from those who rely on such grants to those who could lose their eligibility.
We think Brown’s proposed changes to the Cal Grant system will benefit students and help alleviate some of the stresses of paying for college.
For students, it is scary to not know if we will be awarded enough financial aid to cover tuition or if we will have to apply for student loans to cover the cost.
Losing Cal Grant eligibility permanently for having a financially adequate year seems like a form of punishment.
We think the current policy doesn’t consider a number of factors for families of four earning more than $83,100.
It is unrealistic to think a family of four wouldn’t struggle to send a student to attend a CSU, regardless of how much money the family earns annually.
We are relieved to see these potential changes to the Cal Grant eligibility process introduced in Brown’s new plan.
The changes would relieve a great deal of financial pressures for CSU students and their family members in the middle and lower classes.
Uhlenkamp and Valdivia couldn’t offer an explanation for the changes to the Cal Grant system a few years ago, which definitely raises a few questions.
What good does the current Cal Grant system do if it prevents students from applying for aid based on annual income?
And why was it changed in the first place?
It seems counterproductive, and the current system seems to do more harm than good to students who depend on Cal Grant funds.
We hope that the Cal Grant eligibility process shifts back to the old ways by the end of this year.