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Description
The Cal Grant T awards were created in 1998 under SB
2064 (O’Connell) to provide tuition and fee assistance
to individuals enrolled in an accredited teacher preparation program.
Students who have at least a bachelor’s degree and are working
actively toward an initial teaching credential may qualify for up
to $1,428 at The California State University, $3,429 at The University
of California, and $9,708 at an independent college or university.
Students must agree to teach full time for a minimum of one year
in a low-performing California public school for each award increment
of $2,000 received, a requirement added in 2000 under SB
1666 (Alarcon). The maximum service requirement is four consecutive
years of full-time teaching.
Funding
Since 1998, the first year of the program, $10 million had been
allocated annually to fund grant awards. However, as the number
of individuals accepting awards has decreased over the years, expenditures
for the program have fallen short of budget projections. The underuse
of the program is one likely reason the budget for Cal Grant T was
reduced to $6 million in 2002–03.
Participation
From 1998–99 through 2001–02, the California Student Aid
Commission was authorized to issue 3,000 new Cal Grant T awards
each year. During that period, the commission paid more than 7,500
new awards to individuals. Participation in the program, however,
has been declining. In 2001–02, the commission offered 2,545
new awards to individuals; through August 2002, the commission had
paid just 1,403 or 55.1 percent of those grants, a reduction in
the number and percentage of awards accepted in previous years.
The new state budget for 2002–03 authorizes the commission
to issue as many awards as possible given the reduced funding level,
which will translate into approximately 1,500 awards.
Cal Grant T Funding, Expenditures and Awards,
1998–99 to 2001–02
|
Fiscal Year
|
Funding
(in millions)
|
Expenditures*
(in millions)
|
New Awards Offered
|
New Awards Paid
|
Percentage of New Awards Paid
|
|
1998–99
|
$10.0
|
$8.2
|
2,656
|
2,400
|
90.4
|
|
1999–2000
|
$10.0
|
$8.2
|
2,180
|
1,989
|
91.2
|
|
2000–01
|
$10.0
|
$7.6
|
2,166
|
1,777
|
82.0
|
|
2001–02
|
$10.0
|
$6.7
|
2,545
|
1,403
|
55.1
|
|
2002–03
|
$6.0
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
| *Figure includes expenditures on new grant
awards and awards active from prior year. |
Additional Resources
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