Full-time Student Success Grant
September 21 and 23, 2015
Bryan Dickason and Tim Bonnel
Community College Chancellor's Office
cccco.edu
Members of the
Full-time Student Success
Grant Workgroup
Our most gracious thanks to the following persons for their
support and input:
Canada College
Foothill College
Fresno City College
Glendale College
L.A. Pierce College
Los Rios CCD
Oxnard College
Riverside City College
Santa Rosa Jr. College
Santiago Canyon College
Margie Carrington
Kevin Harral
Kira Tippins
Pat Hurley
Anafe Robinson
Roy Beckhorn
Linda Robison
Elizabeth Hilton
Kris Shear
Syed Rizvi
2
cccco.edu
Agenda
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
FTSSG Program Description
Budget Act Control Language
Intent of FTSSG Funding
FTSSG Information and
Communications
Definitions
Eligibility
Disbursements to Students
Surplus Grant Funding Possible Solutions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Over-payments
Over-awards
Funding Apportionment System
Fiscal Reporting
Data/IT Issues
Business Office Issues
Implementation Funding Allowable Uses and Reporting
• FTSSG Reporting Template
3
cccco.edu
FTSSG Program Description
Senate Bill 93, part of the 2015 Budget Act, created a new
grant program for California community college students
•
“Full-Time Student Success Grant” (FTSSG) program
•
Payable starting fall 2015-16
• All California Community Colleges will be participating.
•
For full-time Cal Grant B recipients
cccco.edu
Budget Act Control Language
SB 93 Annual Budget Act 2015
[Approved by Governor ~ June 24, 2015. Filed with Secretary of State ~ June 24, 2015.]
6870-102-0001— For local assistance, Board of Governors of the
California Community Colleges (Proposition 98)
$39,000,000
Schedule: 5675019-Student Financial
$39,000,000
Provisions:
The funds appropriated in Schedule 1 of this item shall be
distributed to students who are receiving the Cal Grant B Access
Award and are taking 12 units or more. The Office of the Chancellor
of the California Community Colleges shall determine the number of
students eligible for this funding, and distribute an equal amount of
funding to each student as funding allows.
cccco.edu
Intent of FTSSG Funding
To support student persistence, retention and success
To increase grant aid to community college students to reduce the
unmet need gap
To strengthen the value of the Cal Grant B Access award for the most
disadvantaged of our students
$39 million was provided to leverage the existing Cal Grant B
program with supplemental grant funding
Additional $3 million in SFAA funding
Anticipate colleges focusing on early disbursements
cccco.edu
FTSSG Information and Communications
Guidance and information regarding FTSSG will be
distributed through the CFAO-ALL List.
Add pointers to the CFAO-ALL list through your district’s
alias list manager to include FTSSG staff
FTSSG mailbox to chronicle questions into a cumulative
statewide Q&A document: FTSSG@cccco.edu
cccco.edu
Definitions
Full-time = 12 or more units in a term.
Cal Grant B full-time recipient = A student already
paid full-time for that term (FT or OF payment
transaction code)
cccco.edu
Eligibility
Must be enrolled full-time and linked to either the initial or
final Cal Grant B term award payment with a reported
payment code of either of the following:
“FT” for full-time attendance and full-time term award
payment, or
“OF” for full-time attendance but less than a full-time
term award payment
cccco.edu
Eligibility
All Cal Grant B award and payment eligibility standards are applicable,
including:
• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen
• Be a California resident or California Dream Act eligible (AB540)
• Attend a Cal Grant participating California Community college
• Demonstrate financial need at his or her college
• Have family income and assets below the annual ceilings
• Have met U.S. Selective Service requirements
• Be in a program leading to an undergraduate degree, certificate or
first professional degree
cccco.edu
Eligibility
All Cal Grant B award and payment eligibility standards are applicable,
including:
• Not have a bachelor’s or professional degree before receiving a
Cal Grant (except for extended Cal Grant A or B awards, or
teaching credential programs
•
Have a valid Social Security number (except some AB 540 & DACA)
•
Maintain satisfactory academic progress
•
Not owe a refund on any state or federal educational grant
•
Not be in default on any student loan
•
Not be incarcerated
cccco.edu
Disbursements to Students
The term payment is to be paid in full – no multiple disbursements.
Semester: $300 per primary term not to exceed $600 annually
Quarter: $200 per primary term not to exceed $600 annually
Full-time attendance uses the same date that the school determines
enrollment status for Cal Grant B access award payment. If a freeze
date, then use the same date. If another date, use the same date and
enrollment level as for Cal Grant B payment.
When student qualifies to receive their Cal Grant B payment at fulltime status, they are then eligible for a FTSSG award payment for the
term.
cccco.edu
Disbursements to Students - 2
FTSSG payments can be made:
Simultaneously with Cal Grant B, or
Subsequently to Cal Grant B, but not
Prior to Cal Grant B
If making multiple Cal Grant Disbursements:
If less than full-time at time of Cal Grant B disbursement but then
adds unit to get to FT, pay FTSSG when FT and CG payment
adjusted to full-time.
If full-time at time of Cal Grant B disbursement but subsequently
drops units, pay FTSSG
FTSSG must match a FT Payment Code either at initial or
subsequent disbursement for the term
cccco.edu
Disbursements to Students - 3
Disbursements for student with less than $600 in unmet need
Example:
Student has $500 unmet need
Disburse $300 for the fall term then $200 for the spring
$300 is disbursed for fall because uneven term payments are
allowed and a students attendance status for subsequent term is
undetermined.
cccco.edu
Over-payments
Over-payment resolution not required provided that a change in
enrollment status was made after the term payment if:
The FTSSG term payment was made for the full term amount
($300 for semesters and $200 for Quarters); and
The student also received a Cal Grant B term payment for 12 or
more units at the time of disbursement of the FTSSG.
Changes to enrollment status in prior terms or subsequent to
payment will not affect a student’s payment eligibility.
Enrollment drops to less than FT after term payment will not require
repayments by students or by schools.
cccco.edu
Over-awards
Need based over-awards must be prevented.
Award payments may not exceed unmet need
Student might have need for CGB payment but not FTSSG
Colleges may consider adjusting standardized COA budgets
to increase eligibility and to prevent over-awards.
Awards payments for other aid (loans, work-study, other
rationed and reusable grant aid (ie. FSEOG) should be
adjusted to prevent over-awarding.
cccco.edu
Other Policy Guidance
Portability would be equivalent to Cal Grant portability. A
student receiving a Cal Grant B Award with enrollment
status equal to or greater than 12 units would be eligible
and should be paid their FTSSG provided they have not
exceeded their annual limit of $600 at the same institution.
Students attending multiple colleges with consortia in place
should receive an FTSSG award based upon their receipt of
a Cal Grant B award payment reflecting a cumulative
enrollment status of 12 or more units per term at the home
institution.
cccco.edu
Funding Apportionment System
By the end of September each school will receive an initial
allocation of FTSSG funds, based in part on 2013-14 reconciled
COMIS data.
A limited amount of funds have been held back to
accommodate changes in size of enrollments at various
colleges.
Once a school has paid out their allocated funds, they can
submit a payment record (see the “FTSSG Transaction
Reconciliation Report”) to the Chancellor’s Office for a
reconciliation and allocation adjustments.
cccco.edu
Funding Apportionment System
Semester calendars will receive fall advance in late
September and spring advance in late January.
Quarter calendars will receive fall advance in late
September and winter/spring advance in late January.
September fall advance based on MIS Cal Grant B payments
(adjusted for projected growth in 2014-15 and 2015-16)
with periodic reconciliation for actual payments resulting in
funding adjustments to meet total fall obligations
cccco.edu
Funding Apportionment System
January winter/spring advance based on MIS Cal Grant B
payments (adjusted for projected growth in 2014-15 and
2015-16) minus any cash on hand from fall advance with
periodic reconciliation for actual payments resulting in
funding adjustments to meet total spring obligations
Mandatory Term/Annual Reconciliation to get any
subsequent advance
CO-FA will establish a calendar of monthly reporting
deadlines for reconciliation reporting and subsequent
funding adjustments.
cccco.edu
Surplus Grant Funding - Possible Solutions
Based upon a mid-year assessment of grant funding and paid
awards, if surplus grant funds are available and awards are
authorized by the Chancellor’s office we may consider:
• Summer payments (FT equivalency to be determined)
• Annual max for any combination of primary terms,
intersessions, and/or summer of 24 or more semester units
annual (36 or more quarter units)
• Premium Supplemental payments for 15 or more semesters
units in a term or the equivalent in quarter units or 30 or more
semesters units in a year or the equivalent in quarter units
• Supplemental payments prioritizing students with greatest need.
cccco.edu
Fiscal Reporting
California Community College Scholarship Endowment
(CCCSE)/Osher Scholarship style reporting for cash
management and recipient data with “true and accurate”
certification to be signed by FAO/Fiscal Officer
Fall term reconciliation required prior to Spring Advance
(due December) with recipient ID and term payments.
Additional reconciliation(s) as cash flow is needed for term
disbursements.
Annual reconciliation cash and recipients with year-end
closing adjustments (+/-) in R-1
cccco.edu
Data
The Chancellor’s Office Management Information System
(COMIS) has been amended to include a new reportable
value (GD) for the FTSSG under data element SF21 to
facilitate reporting for the 2015-16 award year and forward.
These awards will be subject to group “A” edits (same as Cal
Grant B awards).
Will require a Cal Grant B Payment in the Term/Year
reported
cccco.edu
Operational and
Interdepartmental Issues
cccco.edu
Policy and Procedure Issues
Update campus P & P manual to include:
• Award type, award criteria and award process.
• Payment processes
cccco.edu
IT Issues
These awards will be accounted for and reported on to the
Chancellor’s Office, not to CSAC. Because of this, they will
require a new award code in school based software
systems, payable for all terms (and possible summer
awards).
School Based Software Issues:
Program to make awards and payments
Program for reporting file layout protocol
cccco.edu
IT Issues
COMIS
Reconciliation and corrections
Mapping to MIS for new award code SF-21 +GD
Syntactical and referential reporting and edit
requirements
cccco.edu
Business Office Issues
1. New Program and Ledger Accounts: Funds need to be accounted
for in a subsidiary ledger, backed up with detailed payment
records per the “FTSSG file layout” reporting protocol.
2. There may be a lag in time between identifying eligible students,
and receipt of funds from the Chancellor’s Office. It is suggested
that Financial Aid Directors speak with their fiscal offices and
college foundations to discuss the possibilities on managing cash
flow during these times. At least one school has been able to
secure a cash “float” for these grants for up to 3 weeks, and for
up to $50,000.
cccco.edu
Business Office Issues
3. Timing of Advances and supplemental advances
4. Cash Flow for payments
5. Reconciliation and reporting and liability
6. While it is not required, we encourage colleges to
maintain funds in an interest-yielding account or
investment sweep accounts. If you maintain the funds in
an interest bearing account the money earned will stay
with the college.
cccco.edu
Implementation Funding - Allowable Uses and Reporting
Each district received an additional one-time amount of
$41,667 to cover implementation costs such as system setup, file layout programming, etc.
Funds were allocated on a district allocation formula under
the assumption that most colleges would utilize these
resources to modify and update their school based
software to award, pay and report FTSSG recipients.
Under all circumstances the funding is subject to BFAP/SFAA
expenditure guidelines and restrictions.
cccco.edu
Local Foundation Involvement
Supplement awards to FTSSG ineligible students for policy
exceptions.
Cash Flow
cccco.edu
Marketing and Awareness
In the first year of implementation the ICAN campaign has
developed a bi-fold brochure collateral piece for
distribution to college FA offices communicating the
opportunity and requirements. We recommend you share
this publication with Cal Grant B students whose
enrollment status is less than FT (12 Units per term).
cccco.edu
Marketing and Awareness
In addition social media channels for the ICAN campaign
will be featuring messages regarding the FTSSG
opportunity and requirements.
Any local district/college efforts to identify and
communicate with this Cal Grant eligible population
(especially the new awards in the March and September
cycles) would positively support the roll out of the
program.
cccco.edu
FTSSG Payment Reporting Template
An Excel Spread sheet was created to serve three main purposes:
1. Provides basic guidance on program rules and reporting
2. Provides an Excel template if manual entry is needed/desired
3. Provides a record layout if submission of data files is desired.
cccco.edu
FTSSG Payment Reporting Template
• The 2015-16 FTSSG Reporting Template is an
Excel workbook that contains three tabs.
Rules
Reporting Template
Data Dictionary
• This is similar to the OSHER Reporting
Template
cccco.edu
SSARCC Reporting
• SSARCC-FA Secure File Transfer
Protocol FTSSG Transaction
Reconciliation Report
cccco.edu
36
cccco.edu
cccco.edu
Note that the spreadsheet has three tabs
cccco.edu
Instructions for Fall term reporting Tab 1
cccco.edu
Excel template for manual entry Tab 2
cccco.edu
FTSSG Record layout to prepare data files Tab 3
cccco.edu
Finally…
As we embark on this endeavor, we realize that very short
notice has been given on these new awards for this fall 2015
term. However, the needs of our low-income students are vast,
and additional grant aid is always welcome. It is incumbent
upon us to deliver these FTSSG as quickly as possible, to make
as much of a difference with them as possible, and quickly.
Please contact FTSSG@cccco.edu with any additional
questions you may have about the details. Thank you for
your efforts and attention to this new grant program!
cccco.edu
Q and A
FTSSG Information is posted on the CCCCO website at:
http://extranet.cccco.edu/Divisions/StudentServices/FinancialAid/FinancialAidPrograms/ftstuden
tsuccessgrant.aspx
Please contact FTSSG@cccco.edu with any additional questions you may have
cccco.edu