Recently, Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) joined Senate Pro Tem Kevin De León in presenting SB 539 on the Senate floor to help community college students. The bill will provide additional support to high-striving community college students. SB 539 passed the Senate floor with overwhelming support and is now headed to the State Assembly.
SB 539 establishes the Community College Completion Incentive Grant (CCIG), which will provide an additional $4,000 in financial aid to California Community College students receiving the existing Full-Time Student Success Grant, if they complete 15 units. Transportation costs, in particular, often prove to be prohibitive for struggling college students, and the additional $4,000 in financial aid should hinder those prohibitive restraints for community college students.
“As a colleague and the Chair of Budget Subcommittee on Education, I am proud to be a joint author on SB 539 and work closely with Pro Tem De León. In order to make college affordable, not only tuition, but non-tuition costs, such as textbooks, transportation, food, and housing have to be addressed. Not being able to afford the total cost of attendance can be a major obstacle and hinder students’ ability to succeed in class and meet their academic goals. This piece of legislation is a fresh approach to ensuring college affordability and student success. I look forward to continuing to work with our Pro Tem to help our California students,” commented Portantino.
