# California AB 2251: Student financial aid: Cal Grant Program: cost of attendance.

California AB 2251, Student financial aid: Cal Grant Program: cost of attendance., is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Celeste Rodriguez (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-09-30 (Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 928, Statutes of 2026.); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CA-AB2251-20252026
- As of: 2026-10-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: California AB 2251
- State: California
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: Student financial aid: Cal Grant Program: cost of attendance.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-02-19
- Last action: 2026-09-30, Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 928, Statutes of 2026.
- Sponsor: Celeste Rodriguez (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 8 (238 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Clearer college cost adjustment rules for students: benefit, low. Colleges seeking Cal Grant eligibility must adopt cost-of-attendance policies and adjustment procedures by the start of the 2027–28 academic year. They must explain the data and assumptions behind their student budgets and publish clear information about requesting changes. Colleges must consider l…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Celeste Rodriguez (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Marc Berman (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-08-26 | House | AB 2251 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments | pass | 79 | 0 |   |
| 2026-08-25 | Senate | Assembly 3rd Reading AB2251 Celeste Rodriguez By Reyes | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-08-13 | Senate | Do pass | pass | 7 | 0 |   |
| 2026-06-29 | Senate | Placed on suspense file | pass | 7 | 0 |   |
| 2026-06-17 | Senate | Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar | pass | 7 | 0 |   |
| 2026-05-26 | House | AB 2251 Celeste Rodriguez Assembly Third Reading By BERMAN | pass | 78 | 0 |   |
| 2026-05-14 | House | Do pass as amended. | pass | 11 | 0 |   |
| 2026-04-14 | House | Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar | pass | 9 | 0 |   |

## Actions (25)

- 2026-09-30: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 928, Statutes of 2026. (Senate)
- 2026-09-30: Approved by the Governor. (legislature)
- 2026-09-03: Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m. (legislature)
- 2026-08-26: Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 6601.). (House)
- 2026-08-26: In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. (House)
- 2026-08-25: Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.). (Senate)
- 2026-08-24: Read second time. Ordered to third reading. (Senate)
- 2026-08-21: Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading. (Senate)
- 2026-08-13: Read second time. Ordered to third reading. (Senate)
- 2026-08-13: From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13). (Senate)
- 2026-06-29: In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file. (Senate)
- 2026-06-17: From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. (Senate)
- 2026-06-03: Referred to Com. on ED. (Senate)
- 2026-05-27: In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. (Senate)
- 2026-05-26: Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 5378.) (House)
- 2026-05-19: Read second time. Ordered to third reading. (House)
- 2026-05-18: Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading. (House)
- 2026-05-14: From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 14). (House)
- 2026-05-06: In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. (House)
- 2026-04-20: Re-referred to Com. on APPR. (House)
- 2026-04-16: Read second time and amended. (House)
- 2026-04-15: From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 14). (House)
- 2026-03-09: Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED. (House)
- 2026-02-20: From printer. May be heard in committee March 22. (House)
- 2026-02-19: Read first time. To print. (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-09-30: [HTML](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225194CHP)
- Enrolled, 2026-08-30: [HTML](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225195ENR)
- Amended Senate, 2026-08-21: [HTML](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225196AMD)
- Amended Assembly, 2026-05-18: [HTML](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225197AMD)
- Amended Assembly, 2026-04-16: [HTML](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225198AMD)
- Introduced, 2026-02-19: [HTML](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225199INT)

## Related bills

- AB 2186: Personal Income Tax Law: exclusions: reparations programs. (vetoed)
- AB 2222: Personal Income Tax Law and Corporation Tax Law: credits: local news outlets: business expense deduction: excessive employee remuneration. (signed)
- AB 2179: Workplace violence: restraining orders. (signed)
- AB 2595: San Mateo Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot Program. (signed)
- SB 1365: Price gouging. (signed)
- AB 2270: Low-income housing tax credit: farmworker housing. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225194CHP)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225195ENR)
- [Amended Senate (HTML)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225196AMD)
- [Amended Assembly (HTML)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225197AMD)
- [Amended Assembly (HTML)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225198AMD)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2251&version=20250AB225199INT)

## Related
- [AB 2186: Personal Income Tax Law: exclusions: reparations programs.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CA-AB2186-20252026)
- [AB 2222: Personal Income Tax Law and Corporation Tax Law: credits: local news outlets: b…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CA-AB2222-20252026)
- [AB 2179: Workplace violence: restraining orders.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CA-AB2179-20252026)
- [AB 2595: San Mateo Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot Program.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CA-AB2595-20252026)
- [SB 1365: Price gouging.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CA-SB1365-20252026)
- [AB 2270: Low-income housing tax credit: farmworker housing.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CA-AB2270-20252026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CA-AB2251-20252026 (as of 2026-10-21).