By Barbara Ortutay
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
More low- and middle-income students will be able to afford
college as a result of a $1.2 billion Cal Grant expansion Gov. Gray
Davis recently approved.
The expansion, signed Sept. 11, means more financially eligible
students with a 3.0 average or better can receive Cal Grant A , and
more students with at least a 2.0 GPA can be awarded Cal Grant B
scholarships.
“This is a huge victory for students,” said Stacy
Lee, former Undergraduate Students Association President and
organizing director of the University of California Student
Association, a state lobbying organization.
“Students will be able to work less hours, take more
classes and graduate earlier,” she added. “It also
lessens the loan burden many students face.”
Cal Grant recipients include community, state and private
college students in addition to UC undergraduates. UC president
Richard Atkinson praised the legislation.
“We anticipate that it will make a UC education possible
for many students now in our community colleges who wish to
transfer to UC, “ he said.
In the past, students who were financially and academically
eligible to receive grants did not always get them because the
state lacked adequate funds. With the extra $1.2 billion, more
qualified students will be able to receive financial aid.
To be eligible for Cal Grants ““ which may only go toward
an undergraduate degree or certificate ““ a student must be a
California resident, be making satisfactory academic progress, and
not have any defaulted student loans. The deadline to apply for the
following academic year is March 12.
At UCLA, approximately 6,568 students receive Cal Grants,
according to Ronald Johnson, director of the office of financial
aid. He said as a result of the grant expansion, this number is
expected to grow, as more students are now eligible to receive the
grants.
“This is going to help students a lot,” Johnson
said. “You have the increase in Cal Grants, and also the
possible increase in federal Pell Grants. The combination should
erode some of the financial burden on students.”
Lee said low-income students who don’t receive grants
often end up being unable to go to the school of their choice, or
having to work extra hours and take fewer classes in order to
afford it. As a result, many students are taking longer than the
traditional four years to graduate.
Both Johnson and Lee agreed that the amount of loans students
have had to take out in recent years has increased in inverse
proportion to the grants they are awarded, and this leaves many
students graduating with a significant loan burden.
The income ceiling for Cal Grants for independent students is
$23,500, and $64,100 for a family of four, according to the
California Student Aid Commission.
“The next big battle is how much the minimum award will
be,” Lee said.
To find out more about applying for Cal Grants, go to www.csac.ca.gov.