State budget earmarks funds for “tuition free” community college

“Tuition free,” “debt free” and “free college for all” are some of the terms being used to describe college affordability plans being proffered by candidates running for president in 2020. It’s clear that the $1.5 trillion dollars in student loan debt held by the nation’s millennials has made the student debt crisis a key issue in minds of many voters.

In an effort to expand access to higher education, California has recently made a commitment to reducing the high cost of college. As part of the state’s $217 billion budget for 2020, which was approved by the Governor and state legislators on June 27, California will provide funding for the first two years of community college, tuition free, to first-time students who agree to attend college full-time and meet certain criteria.

Currently, tuition in the Community College system is $46 per unit. The annual cost for a student enrolling for two semesters and taking a full-time load of 12 credits per semester would be $1,104. However, as every student knows, there are many other costs of attending college, such as textbooks, transportation and living expenses.

Many of California’s 115 local community colleges have already established “College Promise” programs, including Citrus College, located in the San Gabriel Valley. Each college devises its own eligibility requirements and financial awards, which can include textbooks and other costs. Local college promise programs require coordination of existing resources and some philanthropic support. The new state budget will take some financial pressure off of local college districts, while ensuring the state meets its burgeoning need for an educated workforce.

Currently, 51 percent of students graduating from a California State University and 29 percent of students graduating from the University of California incurred little or no debt for the first two years of college by starting at a California community college.

About the Author:

Dr. Edward C. Ortell is the senior governing board member at Citrus College and a Professor Emeritus at Pasadena City College. He has served on the California Community College Trustees (CCCT) state board of directors and eight terms as president of the Citrus College Board of Trustees.