On top of rising tuition, a Pell Grant cut scare and no classes, Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposes cuts to the Cal Grants Program. His budget raises the GPA for eligibility for rewards and reduces the program by approximately $130 million.

Brown raised the GPA for Cal Grant A from 3.0 to 3.25, Cal Grant B from 2.0 to 2.75 and the Cal Community College Transfers Grant from 2.4 to 2.75. Additionally, Brown reduced the maximum reward for non-profit colleges to the CSU maximum ($5472) and for-profit colleges to $4,000. These additional changes would reduce the Cal Grant Program by $111.5 million and $59.1 million respectively.

Scott Lay is President and CEO of the Community College League of California (CCLC), an advocacy group that fought against the Pell Grant cuts and is fighting against the Cal Grant cuts. “This isn’t about eligibility, but the consequences of a decade of disinvestment from higher education and a great recession that has citizens turning to education in place of non-existent jobs,” Lay said.

Lay acknowledges the program will take some cuts because of the slumping economy, but said the proposed cuts go too far. “[The CCLC] will aggressively fight these cuts,” he said.

Because the GPA is only one of the many factors that go into the Cal Grant awards, it is hard to know how many SRJC students would lose rewards if the cuts were approved. “[There is] no good way to make an estimate on that,” said Kris Shear, director of Student Financial Services.

A hearing is scheduled to take place at 9 a.m. on Feb. 24 at the state Capitol by the California Student Aid Commission. Students are encouraged to attend.