SB-416
Education

Student financial aid: Cal Grants: qualifying institutions: financial aid offer letter template.

Introduced
CA
2025-2026 Regular Session
0
0
Track

Key Takeaways

  • Requires California colleges to use a standardized financial aid offer letter template by the 2028-29 academic year.
  • Establishes a workgroup of education experts to create the template and identify common financial aid terms by April 2026.
  • Mandates the workgroup to submit the template and report to the Legislature by July 2027.
  • Makes using the template a requirement for institutions to qualify for the Cal Grant Program.

Summary

Senator Pérez's proposal to standardize financial aid offer letters across California's higher education institutions would establish new requirements for institutions participating in the Cal Grant Program. The legislation mandates the creation of a uniform template that all qualifying institutions must use when presenting financial aid packages to prospective students.

The California Student Aid Commission would convene a workgroup by April 2026 comprising representatives from all higher education segments, student organizations, and subject matter experts. This group would identify common terminology and structural elements currently used in financial aid letters, then develop a standardized template by July 2027. The workgroup would submit its template and findings to the Legislature at that time.

Beginning with the 2028-29 academic year, all institutions would need to adopt this template for their conditional offers of attendance to maintain their status as qualifying institutions under the Cal Grant Program. This requirement would apply across California's public universities, community colleges, private non-profit institutions, and eligible private postsecondary schools that participate in federal student aid programs.

The measure adds these template requirements to existing Cal Grant institutional eligibility criteria, which include meeting specific cohort default rates, graduation rates, and satisfactory academic progress standards. The legislation does not require additional state funding for implementation.

Key Dates

Next Step
Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations
Next Step
Senate Committee
Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations
Hearing has not been scheduled yet
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Placed on suspense file
Senate Education Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Education Hearing
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Introduced
Senate Floor
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Contacts

Profile
Anna CaballeroD
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Tim GraysonD
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Megan DahleR
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Kelly SeyartoR
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Aisha WahabD
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 8 row(s) selected.
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Profile
Anna CaballeroD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Tim GraysonD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Megan DahleR
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Kelly SeyartoR
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Aisha WahabD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Christopher CabaldonD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Sasha Renee PerezD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Laura RichardsonD
Senator
Committee Member

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Sasha Renee Perez
Sasha Renee PerezD
California State Senator
10% progression
Bill has been formally introduced and read for the first time in its house of origin (2/14/2025)

Latest Voting History

May 5, 2025
PASS
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
7007PASS

Key Takeaways

  • Requires California colleges to use a standardized financial aid offer letter template by the 2028-29 academic year.
  • Establishes a workgroup of education experts to create the template and identify common financial aid terms by April 2026.
  • Mandates the workgroup to submit the template and report to the Legislature by July 2027.
  • Makes using the template a requirement for institutions to qualify for the Cal Grant Program.

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Sasha Renee Perez
Sasha Renee PerezD
California State Senator

Summary

Senator Pérez's proposal to standardize financial aid offer letters across California's higher education institutions would establish new requirements for institutions participating in the Cal Grant Program. The legislation mandates the creation of a uniform template that all qualifying institutions must use when presenting financial aid packages to prospective students.

The California Student Aid Commission would convene a workgroup by April 2026 comprising representatives from all higher education segments, student organizations, and subject matter experts. This group would identify common terminology and structural elements currently used in financial aid letters, then develop a standardized template by July 2027. The workgroup would submit its template and findings to the Legislature at that time.

Beginning with the 2028-29 academic year, all institutions would need to adopt this template for their conditional offers of attendance to maintain their status as qualifying institutions under the Cal Grant Program. This requirement would apply across California's public universities, community colleges, private non-profit institutions, and eligible private postsecondary schools that participate in federal student aid programs.

The measure adds these template requirements to existing Cal Grant institutional eligibility criteria, which include meeting specific cohort default rates, graduation rates, and satisfactory academic progress standards. The legislation does not require additional state funding for implementation.

10% progression
Bill has been formally introduced and read for the first time in its house of origin (2/14/2025)

Key Dates

Next Step
Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations
Next Step
Senate Committee
Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations
Hearing has not been scheduled yet
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Placed on suspense file
Senate Education Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Education Hearing
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Introduced
Senate Floor
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Latest Voting History

May 5, 2025
PASS
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
7007PASS

Contacts

Profile
Anna CaballeroD
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Tim GraysonD
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Megan DahleR
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Kelly SeyartoR
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Aisha WahabD
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 8 row(s) selected.
Page 1 of 2
Select All Legislators
Profile
Anna CaballeroD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Tim GraysonD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Megan DahleR
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Kelly SeyartoR
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Aisha WahabD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Christopher CabaldonD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Sasha Renee PerezD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Laura RichardsonD
Senator
Committee Member