Statement of Emmanuel “Manny” Rodriguez, Director of Policy & Advocacy for California:
“California students deserve a financial aid system that provides them with the best chance to enroll and graduate with a postsecondary degree, even when they are met with unexpected and sometimes life-altering circumstances. With this week’s signing of AB 789 into law, long-overdue reforms to the state’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policies will prevent some of our most vulnerable students from losing critical financial aid due to previously unnecessarily restrictive SAP policies.
“Investing in financial aid is critical in increasing college access and success for racially marginalized and low-income students, who research has shown are more likely to lose financial aid due to current SAP policies. AB 789 will modernize these policies statewide and ensure that institutions consider a broad range of extenuating circumstances and acknowledge the realities many students face as a basis for an appeal to reinstate financial aid eligibility.
“TICAS thanks Assembly Members Marc Berman and Sabrina Cervantes for sponsoring AB 789, and we commend Governor Gavin Newsom for signing this important bill into law. This action is a tremendous step forward for California in ensuring that all students have every opportunity to maintain their financial aid in order to earn a postsecondary degree and contribute to our state’s workforce of tomorrow.”
