Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
State Center Sues Feds for Denying Emergency Relief Money to Students
NANCY WEBSITE HEADSHOT 1
By Nancy Price, Multimedia Journalist
Published 5 years ago on
May 12, 2020

Share

State Center Community College District joined four other California community college districts and the California Community Colleges in suing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos over eligibility restrictions that deny COVID-19 emergency relief funds to thousands of local college students — including undocumented students with DACA status.

The lawsuit was filed today in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, San Francisco, by state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, representing California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley and the board of governors. The suit seeks to have the restrictions declared unconstitutional and overturned.

Fresno City College initially identified 16,457 students as eligible for federal assistance based on factors such as income, Pell grant eligibility, and ZIP code. But after the Education Department imposed restrictions, only 8,149 students could receive the funds.

More than 15,000 State Center students were deemed ineligible by U.S. Department of Education rules that were issued a month after Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, district spokeswoman Lucy Ruiz said.

Oakley said that as many as 800,000 California community college students — or more than half of all students enrolled in the state’s community colleges in the spring semester — were deemed ineligible for CARES Act higher education funds. The U.S. Department of Education ruled that only students eligible for federal financial aid could receive the funds.

The Education Department’s rules were in sharp contrast to the initial declaration that local community colleges would have discretion in distributing funds and that the emergency relief would be available to all students.

Federal Restrictions ‘Capricious’

California Community Colleges Board of Governors President Tom Epstein, calling the Department of Education’s restrictions “capricious,” said that Congress had set no eligibility requirements when authorizing the CARES Act funds to aid students with expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The federal rules exclude students with DACA status from being eligible for the relief funds.

Clovis Community College initially identified about 6,500 students for assistance grants but was limited to 2,700 students.

The California Community Colleges serves an estimated 70,000 undocumented students, many of whom have DACA status. DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a U.S. immigration policy that protects people brought to the U.S. as children from deportation and makes it legal for them to have a work permit.

The federal restrictions also excluded students who do not have a high school diploma or GED, and those who are in high school and participating in dual enrollment programs.

Rules Sharply Reduced Eligibility

Of the $114 million allocated to State Center and the four other plaintiff districts in the lawsuit through the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, $57 million was supposed to be allocated directly to college students.

State Center’s share was $18.3 million, with $9.2 million to be allocated for students.

Reedley College initially identified 7,100 students but was limited to providing assistance to only 3,600 students, and also had to delay disbursement by two weeks.

The State Center district includes Fresno City College, Reedley College, Clovis Community College, and college centers in Madera and Oakhurst.

Fresno City College initially identified 16,457 students as eligible for federal assistance based on factors such as income, Pell grant eligibility, and ZIP code. But after the Education Department imposed restrictions, only 8,149 students could receive the funds.

Reedley College initially identified 7,100 students but was limited to providing assistance to only 3,600 students, and also had to delay disbursement by two weeks.

Clovis Community College initially identified about 6,500 students for assistance grants but was limited to 2,700 students.

The other plaintiff districts are the Los Angeles Community College District, the Los Rios Community College District, which serves the greater Sacramento area, the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District, which serves the South Bay area, and the San Diego Community College District.



Oakley v DeVos Complaint (Text)

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Trustees Choose District Insider Misty Her for New Superintendent

DON'T MISS

Fresno Students Celebrate Earth Day by Planting 5 Valley Oaks

DON'T MISS

Five Arrested in Fresno County Robbery Spree. Some Linked to Venezuelan Gang

DON'T MISS

US Brings First Terrorism Charges Against Alleged Venezuelan Gang Member

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Immigrants Shouldn’t Get Trials Before Deportation

DON'T MISS

Artfully Staged for Takeoff: Fresno Airport Expansion Nears Finish

DON'T MISS

Chipotle Tempers Annual Sales Forecast as Dining-out Takes a Hit

DON'T MISS

Orders to Leave the Country — Some for US Citizens — Sow Confusion Among Immigrants

DON'T MISS

Newsom Seeks Help for Struggling Oil Refiners

DON'T MISS

General Motors to Increase Production at Ohio Transmission Facility

UP NEXT

Newsom Seeks Help for Struggling Oil Refiners

UP NEXT

US Justice Department Directs Investigations Over Gender-Affirming Care

UP NEXT

US Justice Department Cancels Hundreds of Grants for Police, Crime Victims

UP NEXT

How Do High Schoolers Really Fare After Graduation? A New California Tool Lets You Know

UP NEXT

Yelich’s 5th Career Slam and Bauers’ 2-Run Homer Power the Brewers to Win Over the Giants

UP NEXT

Happ Hits Game-Ending Single in the 10th as the Cubs Rally Past Dodgers

UP NEXT

US House to Vote on Republican Bid to Repeal California EV Rules

UP NEXT

Secret Search or Meet the Finalists? Debate Rages as Fresno Nears Its Superintendent Pick

UP NEXT

Outrage Grows to Assembly Bill That Would Slash Solar Contract Benefits

UP NEXT

Will Fresno Unified Sacrifice Another Generation of Students? The Choice Is Ours

Nancy Price,
Multimedia Journalist
Nancy Price is a multimedia journalist for GV Wire. A longtime reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in California, Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Kansas, Nancy joined GV Wire in July 2019. She previously worked as an assistant metro editor for 13 years at The Fresno Bee. Nancy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her hobbies include singing with the Fresno Master Chorale and volunteering with Fresno Filmworks. You can reach Nancy at 559-492-4087 or Send an Email

US Brings First Terrorism Charges Against Alleged Venezuelan Gang Member

4 hours ago

Trump Says Immigrants Shouldn’t Get Trials Before Deportation

5 hours ago

Artfully Staged for Takeoff: Fresno Airport Expansion Nears Finish

5 hours ago

Chipotle Tempers Annual Sales Forecast as Dining-out Takes a Hit

5 hours ago

Orders to Leave the Country — Some for US Citizens — Sow Confusion Among Immigrants

5 hours ago

Newsom Seeks Help for Struggling Oil Refiners

5 hours ago

General Motors to Increase Production at Ohio Transmission Facility

5 hours ago

US Justice Department Directs Investigations Over Gender-Affirming Care

5 hours ago

Exclusive: Trump Expected to Sign Order Pushing Training for Skilled Trades

5 hours ago

Kennedy Declares ‘Sugar Is Poison’ While Announcing Ban on Food Dyes

6 hours ago

Fresno Trustees Choose District Insider Misty Her for New Superintendent

Fresno Unified trustees on Wednesday chose Misty Her to be the district’s next superintendent. The school board selected the interim s...

1 hour ago

1 hour ago

Fresno Trustees Choose District Insider Misty Her for New Superintendent

3 hours ago

Fresno Students Celebrate Earth Day by Planting 5 Valley Oaks

From left to right: Anderson Vega Laya, 31; Helan Lopez Sanchez, 29; Aaron Sojo Moreno, 25; Yan Garcia-Heredia, 22; and Albert Hinegues, 19, some linked to a violent Venezuelan gang, have been arrested in connection with a series of armed robberies across Fresno County during the summer of 2024. (Fresno County SO)
4 hours ago

Five Arrested in Fresno County Robbery Spree. Some Linked to Venezuelan Gang

U.S. flag and Judge gavel are seen in this illustration taken, August 6, 2024. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
4 hours ago

US Brings First Terrorism Charges Against Alleged Venezuelan Gang Member

5 hours ago

Trump Says Immigrants Shouldn’t Get Trials Before Deportation

5 hours ago

Artfully Staged for Takeoff: Fresno Airport Expansion Nears Finish

5 hours ago

Chipotle Tempers Annual Sales Forecast as Dining-out Takes a Hit

5 hours ago

Orders to Leave the Country — Some for US Citizens — Sow Confusion Among Immigrants

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend