California Bill Would Expand College Financial Aid to Asylum Seekers

Students walk through Sproul Plaza on the University of California–Berkeley campus in Berkeley, Calif., on April 23, 2012. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A California bill that would expand college financial aid to those seeking asylum passed the state Assembly and will now be heard in the state Senate.

Currently, Cal Grant financial aid awards are available only to U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens, such as those who possess a visa or those who are a part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals—commonly known as DACA—program.