Community college students in California who transfer to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will be eligible for a one-time grant of up to $5,000 thanks to a new bill signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Since California has no HBCUs, Assembly Bill 1400 is designed to offset out-of-state tuition costs, creating a “California-to-HBCU-to-California pipeline” that will benefit the state when students graduate and return, according to a statement from the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).
The bill will reallocate money from the state’s College Access Tax Credit Fund to provide grants for students transferring to one of the 49 regionally accredited HBCUs with transfer agreements with the California Community Colleges (CCC) system. To be eligible for the funds, students must indicate their intent to return to California upon graduation.
In the 2021-22 fiscal year, 53 CCC students transferred to HBCUs.
“Currently, California does not have any HBCUs, so students who seek the unique experience of an HBCU must go out of state and forgo any state-based financial aid. AB 1400 creatively redirects funds to provide support to California’s students looking to transfer to an HBCU and bring their talents back to California,” said CSAC Executive Director Marlene Garcia in a statement.
