Cal. Education Code § 78081

(a) The Hire UP Pilot Program is hereby established, to be administered by the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, for purposes of providing justice-involved individuals access to the credential programs and workforce support needed to enter, participate, and compete in California’s economy. (b) (1) The office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges may enter into agreements with up to 10 community college districts for a five-year pilot program to provide funding for stipends to formerly incarcerated individuals, CalWORKs recipients, and former foster youth. (2) Stipends provided under this article shall be equal to the state minimum wage for the duration of the academic program in which the student is enrolled. (3) The stipend amount shall be determined based on the number of hours in the academic program, up to 40 hours per week for a full-time program. (4) Students receiving stipends pursuant to this article shall have access to all supportive, academic, and professional services available through the Rising Scholars Network and their partners, or any services and programs offered by the participating community college district that are designed to benefit justice-involved students. (5) Stipends provided pursuant to this article to students shall be distributed by their community college financial aid office. (c) (1) The chancellor’s office shall develop an application for community college districts wishing to participate to apply for funding pursuant to this article by November 1, 2022, with funding distributed by May 1, 2023. The application shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following information: (A) Current participation in the Rising Scholars Network or in another dedicated reentry program. (B) A description of the mechanism the community college district will use to measure program and student success. (C) A demonstration that the community college district has sufficient staff and resources to serve students in the program, including one dedicated student outreach and recruitment staff position and one dedicated workforce and industry development staff position. (D) A commitment to serve a specified number of students, as established by the chancellor’s office. (E) A description of the partners and services available to students participating in the program. (F) A description of the local employers, industry recruiters, trade groups, career centers, and other workforce placement entities that the community college district will engage for the purpose of establishing a career pathway for students receiving a stipend pursuant to this article. (2) The chancellor’s office shall establish requirements for community college districts related to program data collection and the number of stipend recipients per district. (d) A community college student enrolled in a certificate or degree program at a California community college is eligible for a stipend if either of the following apply: (1) The student has been released from incarceration within the last three years and is a current participant in the Rising Scholars Network or in another dedicated reentry program. (2) The student is a CalWORKs recipient or former foster youth.