Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva Works to Restore Cal Grants with Latino Caucus in Full Support

Fullerton - California State Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) and Latino Caucus Chair Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Long Beach), along with other legislators held their first outreach to Orange County at CSU Fullerton. The legislators discussed issues like access to health care, good paying jobs, safe communities and education. A topic that got a lot of attention was legislation by Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva that seeks to restore Cal Grants to students that were previously eligible, but because their families received slightly more income in following years, students lost their Cal Grants. If passed, Assembly Bill 1287 would allow students to prove financial eligibility only once when they first apply for a Cal Grant, instead of having to annually prove they meet the Cal Grants financial criteria.

"The recent change in rules has resulted in 20,000 previously eligible recipients losing their Cal Grants, including 1,200 such student whose income, or whose family income was increased by less than $1000," said Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva. "This is having a devastating effect on students and potentially forcing many of them who still have a financial need to leave school for lack of funds or placing middle and low income families in dire financial straits."
Learn more in this Assembly Access Video.