Senate BillIntroducedEducation
SB 1006: Student financial aid: Cal Grant B access costs award.
What SB 1006 does, verified May 16, 2026
This bill amends the student financial aid system in California. It aims to increase the access costs award under the Cal Grant B program, starting from the 2027-28 award year. The new award amount will be the maximum per-student amount provided in the 2025-26 award year. Additionally, the award amount will be increased annually by the percentage increase in the California Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers. This change will provide more financial assistance to students attending qualifying postsecondary educational institutions in California.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. (2026-05-14)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions10 total · showing 5
| May. 14, 2026 | May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. |
| May. 08, 2026 | Set for hearing May 14. |
| Apr. 13, 2026 | April 13 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file. |
| Mar. 27, 2026 | Set for hearing April 13. |
| Mar. 25, 2026 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 3688.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
Latest bill textAmended version, March 12, 2026 · 735 words
| Amended IN Senate March 12, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 1006
| Introduced by Senator Padilla |
February 09, 2026 |
An act to amend Section 69435 of the Education Code, relating to student financial aid.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1006, as amended, Padilla. Student financial aid: Cal Grant B access costs award.
Existing law, the Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards, the Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Expanded Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement Awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards, the Cal Grant C Awards, and the Cal Grant T Awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission. Existing law establishes eligibility requirements for awards under the Cal Grant Program for participating students attending qualifying postsecondary educational institutions. Existing law limits an award for access costs, as defined, under the Cal Grant B Program to no more than $1,551, except as specified, but allows this amount to be adjusted in the annual Budget Act.
This bill, commencing with the 2027–28 award year, would instead require the award for access costs under the Cal Grant B program to be at least $1,600 the maximum per-student amount provided in the 2025–26 award year and include would require that award amount to be increased annually by the amount of the percentage increase, if any, in the California Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, as specified.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 69435 of the Education Code is amended to read:69435.
(a) (1) A Cal Grant B award shall be used only for tuition, student fees, and access costs in a for-credit instructional program that is not less than one academic year in length.(2) The commission, or a qualifying institution pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 69450), shall award access grants in a student’s first academic year. In subsequent years, the award shall include an additional amount to pay tuition or fees, or both, to attend college at a public or private four-year college or university or other qualifying institution for all Cal Grant B awards pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 66021.2. In no event shall the total award in any year exceed the applicant’s calculated financial need.
(3) Not more than 2 percent of new Cal Grant B recipients enrolling for the first time in an institution of postsecondary education shall be eligible for payments for tuition or fees, or both, in their first academic year of attendance. The commission shall adopt regulations specifying the criteria used to determine which applicants, if any, receive both tuition and fees plus the access grant in the first year of enrollment. Priority shall be given to students with the lowest expected family contribution pursuant to Section 69432.7 and the highest level of academic merit.
(b) (1) Commencing with the 2027–28 award year, an award for access costs under this article shall adhere to both of the following:
(2) Include The award amounts established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be increased annually by the amount of the percentage increase, if any, in the California Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers as calculated and certified by the commission from data reported by the Department of Industrial Relations. No later than January 15, 2027, for the 2027–28 academic year, and no later than September 1 of the year before each academic year thereafter, the commission shall calculate and certify the percentage change using the data from the two most recent June indices. If the California Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers decreases from the prior academic year, the award amount amounts shall remain at its their most recently certified level.
Text of SB 1006 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions