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A bill that will give thousands of students the opportunity to attend community college in San Mateo County at a free or reduced price was signed into law Friday.
Senate Bill 893, which was introduced by State Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, in January, will allow the San Mateo County Community College District to charge students a lower enrollment fee than that previously mandated by state law. The news comes a week after a crowd of more than 150 students, administrators and local officials gathered at Cañada College for a rally calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign the bill.
“We’re delighted,” said John Pimentel, a member of the district’s board of trustees and outspoken supporter of the bill. “I personally believe that free community college is the most effective and efficient investment that government can make to support economic equity. So I think [SB 893] will have a massive impact.”
With support from assembly members Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, and Kevin Mullin, the bill was passed by a unanimous vote from the State Senate on Aug. 24 and presented to Newsom the following week.
Currently, all community colleges statewide are required to charge students an enrollment fee of $46 per unit per semester. For students, housing, food, transportation, books and other supplies and expenses can add up to more than $15,000, according to a state staff report.
The passage of SB 893 will enable the district to significantly reduce, or even eliminate, those costs. District leaders said they also plan to expand the Promise Scholars Program to make community college tuition-free for all 6,000 eligible students.
“The District’s ‘Promise Scholar Program’ has helped thousands of students facing financial hardships over the years be able to afford a quality community college education and now we have a chance to help every student in the district by shouldering that financial burden for them,” Becker said in an official statement. “This law will let the SMCCCD remove a significant number of roadblocks for these students and make their decision to get a quality education a whole lot easier.”
The district board of trustees recently approved a budget that would include sufficient funding to make free community college available for every county resident starting January 1, according to Pimentel
“In the spring semester, we’ll be able to offer free tuition, books and education materials, free parking, and no student or health costs,” he said.
The ultimate goal, he said, is to help as many people as possible take advantage of the opportunity to seek higher education and improved economic outcomes.
“The next step is shout as loud as we can to the people of San Mateo County that our community colleges are accessible and welcoming,” he said.
