Bill Commons

CA AB 402

in committee

Student financial aid: Cal Grant Program and the California Community College Expanded Entitlement Program.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

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Quick answers

Did CA AB 402 pass?

Not yet. CA AB 402 is in committee and has not come to a final vote. Latest recorded action (2026-08-13): In committee: Held under submission.

What is CA AB 402 about?

(1) Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program, provides awards to certain California postsecondary students to help pay the costs of postsecondary education. Existing law sets the maximum Cal Grant A and B tuition award amount for new recipients in the 2023–24 award year at $9,358 for students attending independent institutions of higher education. Existing law authorizes community colleges to award an associate degree for transfer, and provides that the Cal Grant A and B tuition award amount for future years for students attending independent institutions of higher education depends on the number of commitments those institutions make to accept associate degrees for transfer. Beginning with the 2024–25 award year, existing law sets the maximum tuition award amount for new Cal Grant A and B recipients at either $9,358 or $8,056, depending upon whether the number of new unduplicated transfer students accepted by those institutions who have been given associate degree for transfer commitments in the prior award year exceeds statutory targets. This bill would set, beginning with the 2026–27 award year, and subject to an appropriation for this purpose, the maximum tuition award amount for new Cal Grant A and B recipients at either $9,708 or $8,056, with the higher amount conditioned on the achievement of the target numbers for associate degree for transfer commitments that apply for the prior award year. (2) Existing law establishes a California Community College Expanded Entitlement Award for students who were not awarded a Cal Grant A or B award at the time of the student's high school graduation but who will be enrolled at a California community college during the award year and meet other criteria. Existing law authorizes a student who receives a California Community College Expanded Entitlement Award to subsequently transfer to a University of California or California State University campus and remain eligible to receive the award. Existing law also authorizes a student who receives a California Community College Expanded Entitlement Award and who subsequently transfers to an independent institution of higher education to remain eligible to receive the award, but only if General Fund moneys over the multiyear forecasts beginning in the 2024–25 fiscal year are available to support ongoing augmentations and actions, and if funding is provided in the annual Budget Act to implement the Cal Grant Reform Act. This bill would instead authorize a student who receives a California Community College Expanded Entitlement Award and who subsequently transfers to an independent institution of higher education to remain eligible to receive the award without the above-described conditions.

Who sponsors CA AB 402?

Patel is the primary sponsor of CA AB 402.

Description

(1) Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program, provides awards to certain California postsecondary students to help pay the costs of postsecondary education. Existing law sets the maximum Cal Grant A and B tuition award amount for new recipients in the 2023–24 award year at $9,358 for students attending independent institutions of higher education. Existing law authorizes community colleges to award an associate degree for transfer, and provides that the Cal Grant A and B tuition award amount for future years for students attending independent institutions of higher education depends on the number of commitments those institutions make to accept associate degrees for transfer. Beginning with the 2024–25 award year, existing law sets the maximum tuition award amount for new Cal Grant A and B recipients at either $9,358 or $8,056, depending upon whether the number of new unduplicated transfer students accepted by those institutions who have been given associate degree for transfer commitments in the prior award year exceeds statutory targets. This bill would set, beginning with the 2026–27 award year, and subject to an appropriation for this purpose, the maximum tuition award amount for new Cal Grant A and B recipients at either $9,708 or $8,056, with the higher amount conditioned on the achievement of the target numbers for associate degree for transfer commitments that apply for the prior award year. (2) Existing law establishes a California Community College Expanded Entitlement Award for students who were not awarded a Cal Grant A or B award at the time of the student's high school graduation but who will be enrolled at a California community college during the award year and meet other criteria. Existing law authorizes a student who receives a California Community College Expanded Entitlement Award to subsequently transfer to a University of California or California State University campus and remain eligible to receive the award. Existing law also authorizes a student who receives a California Community College Expanded Entitlement Award and who subsequently transfers to an independent institution of higher education to remain eligible to receive the award, but only if General Fund moneys over the multiyear forecasts beginning in the 2024–25 fiscal year are available to support ongoing augmentations and actions, and if funding is provided in the annual Budget Act to implement the Cal Grant Reform Act. This bill would instead authorize a student who receives a California Community College Expanded Entitlement Award and who subsequently transfers to an independent institution of higher education to remain eligible to receive the award without the above-described conditions.

Introduced
2025-05-23
Latest action
2026-08-13 — In committee: Held under submission.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Patelauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-08-13

    In committee: Held under submission.

  2. 2026-06-15

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  3. 2026-06-04

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 3). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  4. 2025-06-18

    Referred to Com. on ED.

    referral-committee

  5. 2025-06-05

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  6. 2025-06-04

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 2064.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  7. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  8. 2025-05-23

    Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)

  9. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (May 23).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage

  10. 2025-05-23

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  11. 2025-04-23

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  12. 2025-03-19

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (March 18). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  13. 2025-02-18

    Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

    referral-committee

  14. 2025-02-05

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 7.

  15. 2025-02-04

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-03-18 · pass · 9-0

    Member-level votes (10)
    • Boerner: yes
    • Essayli: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • DeMaio: other

  • Do pass as amended.

    2025-05-23 · pass · 11-1

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Calderon: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Tangipa: no
    • Ta: other
    • Sanchez: other
    • Dixon: other

  • AB 402 Patel Assembly Third Reading

    2025-06-04 · pass · 79-0

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2026-06-03 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Choi: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes

  • Placed on suspense file

    2026-06-15 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB402

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

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