Bill Pays 2 Years of Tuition For Community Colleges

MAX TRAN News Editor

A recent tuition waiver, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, hopes to aid students in community colleges. According to ABC 10 News, the California Promise Program was expanded to pay for two years of community colleges with no cost to qualifying students. The program, created to pay college fees for lower-income, first-time college students, requires applicants to live in California, be AB 540 eligible or be full time students. It does not pay for anything else, such as housing, food or books.

 “By offering two years of community college tuition-free, California is taking a meaningful step toward chipping away at the cost of higher learning for students and their families,” Newsom said. 

CBS Los Angeles reports that the expansion would cost around 42.6 million dollars, as part of an effort to relieve many from student debt. Currently, around 33,000 students will be eligible for the second year of the expanded program.

 “It’s a good thing for lower income students,” senior John Bui said. “They go there [community colleges] because they don’t have any money.”

 Community colleges have the option to not waive fees, in favor of spending the budget on something they consider to be a higher priority.