Global Courant
Before the pandemic, Jose Rubio pursued an environmental engineering degree while also working in construction and performing music. Once COVID-19 hit, he lost his job and couldn’t afford to continue at Sierra College near Sacramento.
In 2021, California established the Golden State Grant Program for Education and Training, which provide one-time grants of up to $2,500 aimed at helping people like Rubio. And that happened: Rubio applied, received a scholarship and continues his education.
But now Californians have just days — until Thursday — to apply for these grants, as budget shortfalls have led lawmakers to propose cutting available funding, as first reported by Cal Matters.
Here’s what you need to know.
Who is eligible for the learning scholarship?
You qualify if:
You are registered with one of 110 recognized institutions. You are not eligible if you were enrolled at the time you lost your job. You can verify that you were unable to find work at the same or better pay as your pre-pandemic job. You earn less per year than the income limits set by the state, which range from $42,800 for a single person with no dependents to $135,000 for someone with six or more dependents. Your parents have less than $90,400 in household wealth if you depend on them. The same limit would apply if you are independent and have dependents other than a spouse. If you have no dependents, the limit is $43,000.
How can I apply for the learning scholarship?
Register as a new user on the Application scholarship for education and training Golden State. Registration includes filling in your social security number or Dream Act ID, student email, and other personal information.
Once you have finished registering, your application is complete. You don’t have to fill it in Free application for federal student aid or the California dream act application for this program.
What led to the cuts and the deadline?
Governor Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal reduces the allocation for this program from $500 million to $20 million because of lower revenue projections and a larger budget deficit of about $31.5 billion.
The $480 million program cut would be returned to the state by the end of the 2022-2023 fiscal year, according to the latest proposal from the governor. The decision on the proposed subsidy cut will be made on June 15, which is the constitutional deadline for the legislature to approve the budget. The budget committee in the Edit and an important subcommittee in the Senate have indicated that they accept the governor’s proposal.
As of early June, nearly 8,000 scholarships totaling $19 million have been awarded from more than 11,000 applications, said Shelveen Ratnam, a spokesperson for the California Student Aid Commission. Officials had expected to award 190,000 grants.
The Office of the Legislative Analyst wrote in February that the “underlying need for (the) program has decreased”, due to significantly improved unemployment rates.
In April, the unemployment rate in California was about 4.5%a significant drop from the 7.5% rate in July 2021 when the program was set up.
The analyst report added that, “because the labor market has been very favorable to people looking for work, displaced workers are more likely to have the option of finding other employment rather than returning to school.”
How the grants help people
Rubio’s life changed when he was awarded $2,500. The allowance covered his travel expenses to school, enabled him to buy a new backpack after years of using the same one, and ensured that he had enough to eat. Aside from the financial support, the scholarship gave him a sense of confidence – it reaffirmed that someone who is in similar circumstances to him can jump at the chance to get an education.
“Cutting (the program) is shattering people’s dreams of achieving their academic success,” Rubio said. “It’s not fair because I think if I got it, other students should get a chance too, because only I know how much it helped me.”
Rubio graduated last month and hopes to transfer to a University of California campus in the fall.
What other options do displaced workers have to finance their training?
Displaced workers also have other options.
Community colleges offer free, zero-credit adult education courses and offer full tuition waivers for eligible students taking credit-only courses. Students can submit applications for FAFSA or the California dream act before September 2. Students may also be eligible for Pell Grants and cal grants, which can help cover the cost of education and living. However, these grants typically have a maximum duration of four to six years, and some employees may no longer be eligible for financial assistance.
The California Student Aid Commission is actively working to implement the Cal Grant Equity Framework, a model adopted last year that aims to improve students’ access to financial aid. The frame is currently under consideration for the state budget 2024-25 and if implemented, more students would receive Cal Grants. The current Cal Grant system uses outdated eligibility criteria, such as age and time since high school graduation, Ratnam said.
“Longer-term, the committee is working with policymakers to further expand access to Cal Grant programs in ways that would make it more responsive to the needs of adult and returning students in particular,” Ratnam said.
