Legislation to Enhance College Affordability, Access, and Success for Student Parents Passes the Assembly Higher Education Committee
SACRAMENTO, CA, April 3, 2024— The Michelson Center for Public Policy today commends the California State Assembly Higher Education Committee for passing Assembly Bill 2458, authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman, Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula and Senator Monique Limón. Aimed at eliminating financial barriers, this legislation – known as the Greater Accessibility, Information, Notice, and Support (GAINS) for Student Parents Act -- will increase access to financial aid for the nearly 400,000 student parents in California.
"Today signals a pivotal move toward greater equity in higher education, and we’d like to acknowledge Assemblymember Berman’s leadership," said Dr. Queena Hoang, Senior Program Manager with the Michelson Center for Public Policy. "With today's vote, we commend Chair Mike Fong and the other Assembly Higher Education Committee members who recognized the unique challenges faced by student parents by supporting legislation that will help equip them with the necessary support for success. AB 2458 will ensure that their financial aid reflects the real costs of college for student parents."
AB 2458 aims to standardize the financial aid process, making automatic adjustments to the cost of attendance for student parents, who are often first-generation students of color facing additional financial burdens not covered by existing aid programs. The current process, lacking standardization across institutions, places undue strain on both students and financial aid administrators.
"Higher education must adapt to the realities of today's students, many who juggle family responsibilities and face substantial financial hurdles that are unaccounted for in our current postsecondary system.,” said Dr. Su Jin Jez from California Competes. “This legislation is a critical step toward addressing the systemic barriers that hinder parenting students' path to college completion and brighter futures for their families.”
Furthermore, the bill will improve the data collection of student parents which will help facilitate the creation of better targeted support and enhancing policymaking to address the existing gaps, as institutions currently lack a systematic approach to identifying student parents.
“I am proud to continue to highlight and author legislation to make higher education attainable for student parents. For student parents, the cost of college is one of the biggest barriers to accessing and completing their higher education,” said Assemblymember Marc Berman. “AB 2458 would ensure that student parents obtain the financial aid they are eligible to receive by taking into account their childcare expenses.”
The Michelson Center for Public Policy, along with The California Alliance for Student Parent Success, which is administered by California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy, and The Education Trust – West, Cal State Student Association, Generation Hope, and uAspire are all co-sponsoring the legislation. The bill has received strong support from numerous educational organizations across the state. The bill will now be heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee in May.
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