Assembly Member Ortega, joined by Assembly Members Alvarez and Fong, proposes extending California's student financial aid application deadlines by one month for the 2025-26 award year, moving the current March 3 deadline to April 3, 2025. The extension applies to all financial aid programs administered by the Student Aid Commission, including Cal Grants A and B, the Cal Grant 4 Program, the California Community College Transfer Cal Grant Entitlement Program, and the Middle Class Scholarship Program.

The one-month extension addresses delays in the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process, which California students must complete to access federal Pell Grants, Cal Grants, Middle Class Scholarship awards, and institutional aid programs. The bill contains an urgency clause for immediate implementation upon passage, requiring a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers.