She lost her financial aid while homeless. A bill on Newsom’s desk could help students like her

Elizabeth Clews was taking classes at a community college, working a full-time job at the local mall and living in a Toyota Camry with her baby when she learned that she no longer qualified for financial aid. 

To qualify for state and federal aid in community college — an average of $2,000 to $3,000 a year, according to one estimate — students must meet certain requirements, known as “satisfactory academic progress.” Most notably, they must maintain a GPA above 2.0, the equivalent of a C average.