Student financial aid: application deadlines: extension.

Assemblymember Ortega's legislation expands the Student Aid Commission's authority to extend financial aid application deadlines when the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) experiences delays. The measure allows the commission to postpone deadlines by up to 30 calendar days without requiring formal requests from educational institutions, matching its existing authority for natural disasters and declared emergencies.

The bill establishes specific procedures for implementing deadline extensions. When granting postponements, the commission must notify key stakeholders within 48 hours, including the Governor, legislative committees, and leaders of California's public higher education systems. The commission must also post the revised deadlines and affected geographic areas on its website. Educational institutions seeking extensions through the formal request process must submit applications within 15 business days of a qualifying event, documenting its impact on students' ability to complete applications.

Under the new provisions, the commission must report annually to the Legislature on the number of deadline extensions granted, total late applications received, and geographic distribution of postponements. The reporting requirements include analysis of whether deadline extensions during emergencies or disasters were made equally available across impacted regions. These changes apply to all state financial aid programs administered by the commission, including Cal Grant entitlement and competitive awards and the Middle Class Scholarship Program.