Existing law provides that students who are victims of trafficking, domestic violence, and other serious crimes who have been granted a specified status under federal law are exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California State University and the California Community Colleges, and are eligible to apply for, and participate in, all student financial aid programs and scholarships administered by a public postsecondary educational institution or the State of California, to the same extent as individuals who are admitted to the United States as refugees under a specified federal law. Existing law also requests the University of California to adopt policies that are consistent with those provisions. Existing law also requires community college districts to waive the fees of those students to the same extent as individuals who are admitted to the United States as refugees under the specified federal law.
(a)Notwithstanding any other law, a student who has a special immigrant visa that has been granted a status under Section 1244 of Public Law 110-181 or Public Law 109-163 shall be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California State University and the California Community Colleges to the same extent as individuals who are admitted to the United States as refugees under Section 1157 of Title 8 of the United States Code.
(b)The Regents of the University of California are requested to adopt policies that are consistent with subdivision (a).
SEC. 2.Section 69504.7 is added to the Education Code, to read:69504.7.(a)Notwithstanding any other law, a student who has a special immigrant visa that has been granted a status under Section 1244 of Public Law 110-181 or Public Law 109-163 shall be eligible to apply for, and participate in, all student financial aid programs and scholarships administered by a public postsecondary educational institution or the State of California to the same extent as individuals who are admitted to the United States as refugees under Section 1157 of Title 8 of the United States Code.
(b)The Regents of the University of California are requested to adopt policies that are consistent with subdivision (a).
SEC. 3.Section 76301.3 is added to the Education Code, to read:76301.3.Notwithstanding any other law, a community college district shall waive the fees of a student who has a special immigrant visa that has been granted a status under Section 1244 of Public Law 110-181 or Public Law 109-163 to the same extent as individuals who are admitted to the United States as refugees under Section 1157 of Title 8 of the United States Code.