Legislation being debated at the state Capitol may provide some Sacramento State athletes with a financial aid package in hopes of boosting graduation rates.

SB 661, introduced by Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, would establish a six-year pilot program starting in 2006 at six California State University campuses yet to be determined.

The program would give financial aid to first-year athletes with full or partial scholarships to pay for up to four summer school sessions and an additional semester after the student’s athletic eligibility has expired.

The pilot program would include a maximum of 10 student athletes, representing a maximum of two teams per participating campus, selected by the board of trustees or their designee.

If the bill is signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this summer, the CSU board of trustees will have to decide what six campuses will be chosen to participate in the program.

The board of trustees would fund the program with a combination of general-purpose revenues, alumni donations, and any authorized campus fees.

The trustees would track the progress of the selected athletes and present a report to lawmakers in 2011.

The Senate Education Committee approved the bill on May 4 and now it waits for a hearing date in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Migden introduced the bill on the heels of a March 11 report in the Chronicle of Higher Education that documents the efforts of the NCAA to improve overall graduation rates of college athletes.

The NCAA uses an academic progress rate, which measures how well athletes are doing in the classroom and whether they stay enrolled.

The report states that there are 78 Division I colleges nationally where the entire athletics program failed to meet the academic progress rate, a minimum of 50 percent.

Sac State was one of those colleges, along with the four CSU campuses of Fullerton, Northridge, San Dieg, and San Jose.

Alan Lofaso, chief of staff for Migden’s office, said the idea behind the bill is that athletic scholarships cover a nine-month school year for four years and that the competitive pressure during that time has an impact on classroom performance.

“NCAA statistics show a lack of progress,” Lofaso said. “This is giving them a little extra money for summer sessions if they’re close to graduating.”

Lofaso said that he did not know the likelihood of Sac State being chosen as one of the six CSU campuses.

“The bill empowers the CSU to choose that. That’s completely the CSU’s decision,” Lofaso said.

A spokesman for the CSU board of trustees governmental affairs office could not be reached for comment.

The March report from the Chronicle of Higher Education indicated that Sac State’s football, men’s basketball, and men’s golf teams fell under the minimum 50 percent graduation success rate.

Terry Wanless, Sac State athletic director, said he believes there are some misconceptions regarding the graduation rate. He points out that although the athletics graduation rate is under 50 percent, the graduation rate for the entire Sac State population is just 37 percent.

Wanless also believes that the funding for the pilot program, in the form of general-purpose revenues, alumni donations, and authorized campus fees needs more clarity and specifics.”That’s a little murky in my opinion,” Wanless said. “But I think the intent of the bill is certainly admirable.”

Jerome Jenkins, Sac State men’s basketball coach, said the pilot program could be beneficial for his program.

“Our whole team is going to summer school,” Jenkins said. “I would be all for it, especially with the financial situation we’re in at Sac State. It would help me in recruiting if it will pay for summer school.”

Kenan Smith, former Sac State football player, likes the bill, adding that many football players rely on it. Smith received a full scholarship while playing wide receiver.

A date has not yet been set for the bill’s Senate Appropriations Committee hearing.

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Greg Hyatt can be reached at [email protected]