OAKLAND, CA (September 29, 2014) – Valerie Cuevas, Interim Executive Director of The EdTrust—West, issued the following statement in response to Governor Brown signing AB 2160 (Ting), which was sponsored by The EdTrust—West:

“The EdTrust—West is thrilled by Governor Brown’s signing of AB 2160, and would like to thank Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) for being a tireless advocate on behalf of students. As a result of years of research and analysis, and successful advocacy, thousands of California students will obtain the financial aid they need to go to college. This new law will require public high schools to submit grade point averages for 12th graders to the California Student Aid Commission for the purposes of the Cal Grant application. It will also give high school counselors more time to work directly with students, rather than filling out forms to verify grade point averages. These combined benefits will be especially helpful to students whose parents may be unfamiliar with college admissions and financial aid processes.

AB 2160 is the product of a successful partnership with the California Student Aid Commission, and support from colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, school boards and school business officials, and student groups. The EdTrust—West plans to continue working with these groups to improve access to higher education for disadvantaged students.”

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 About The EdTrust-West
The EdTrust-West works for the high academic achievement of all students at all levels, pre-k through college. We expose opportunity and achievement gaps that separate students of color and low-income students from other youth, and we identify and advocate for the strategies that will forever close those gaps.