(a) The Community College Student Financial Aid Outreach Program is hereby established. The commission shall, in consultation with the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, develop and administer this program for the purpose of providing financial aid training to high school and community college counselors and advisers who work with students planning to attend or attending a community college. This training shall also address the specific needs of all of the following:

(1) Community college students intending to transfer to a four-year institution of higher education.

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(2) Foster youth and former foster youth, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 66025.9.

(3) Homeless youth and former homeless youth, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 66025.9.

(4) Students with disabilities.

(b) The program shall provide specialized information on financial aid opportunities available to community college students, with a particular focus on students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university. The commission shall work in collaboration with the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and other segments of higher education to develop and distribute this specialized information to assist community college students who are planning to transfer to a four-year college or university. Each year, the program shall offer financial aid workshops for high school and community college counselors, targeted for students planning to attend a community college or to transfer from a community college to a four-year institution of higher education. The program shall assist community college counselors in conducting student and family workshops that provide general information about financial aid and technical assistance in completing financial aid forms.

(c) The program shall concentrate its efforts on high schools and community colleges that are located in geographic areas that have a high percentage of low-income families.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 163, Sec. 3. (AB 806) Effective January 1, 2020.)