REDONDO BEACH, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Calif. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), Chairman of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, called upon the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to improve their outreach efforts to encourage more students to apply for the newly-created Middle Class Scholarship program. Assembly Bill 94, which Muratsuchi co-authored, created the Middle Class Scholarship Program.
This scholarship helps undergraduate students with family incomes up to $150,000 pay for tuition and other mandatory student fees. In its first year of implementation, $107 million was appropriated for the Middle Class Scholarship. However, fewer students than originally anticipated applied for the scholarship this year. As a result, over $37 million of appropriated funds are expected to be still available.
“California is the first state in the nation to recognize that our middle class families need help paying for college,” said Muratsuchi. “The Middle Class Scholarship will give some relief to middle-class families struggling with rising college tuition costs. I have tasked the California Student Aid Commission to improve their outreach efforts so no money is left on the table.”
Under the direction of Assemblymember Muratsuchi and the Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, CSAC will continue to take applications from middle-income students interested in financial aid.
“The Legislature’s and the Governor’s support for the Middle Class Scholarship is making college possible for thousands of students,” said Devon Graves, California State Student Association Chair and Commissioner at CSAC. “From 2003-04 and 2010-11, tuition at our UCs and CSUs and the real cost of college has more than doubled, and financial aid opportunities like the Middle Class Scholarship are very important to students who need assistance paying for college.”
To learn more about the Middle Class Scholarship, please visit the Assemblymember’s website: www.asm.ca.gov/Muratsuchi.
