SACRAMENTO â Moments ago, Governor Gavin Newsom released his 2019-20 Budget Plan which proposes to fully fund two years of free community college in California at a cost of $40 million. These funds were proposed in the 2019-20 state budget, from the $200 million voter-approved Proposition 98 General Fund. This proposal extends the California College Promise to waive enrollment fees for first-time, full-time students for a second academic year.
Assembly Bill 2 (AB 2), jointly authored by Assemblymembers Sharon Quirk-Silva, Miguel Santiago, David Chiu, Kevin McCarty, Rob Bonta, Laura Freidman, Lorena Gonzalez, and Sabrina Cervantes was introduced to strengthen the California College Promise policy. This budget proposal takes an important step towards guaranteeing a completely free community college experience for California students.
âWe must be sure that Californiaâs students have access to higher education, yet high tuition costs deny students and their families the dream of obtaining a degree,â said Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D â Orange County). âExpanding the College Promise Program will give working class students, and their families, assurance that the cost of higher education, and the American Dream, will be within their reach. A reinvestment in our students is an investment in California; its educated students, skilled workforce, economy, and its future.â
âCommunity college changed my life," said Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles). âIt gave me choices and opportunities and it opened doors. I know that free community college will change the lives of all Californians. To educate a community is to empower a community. I applaud the Governorâs budget proposal to fund two years of free community college. He has consistently shown leadership on this issue and I look forward to partnering with him in our efforts to strengthen the California College Promise with AB 2.â
âThis budget proposal shows the new Governorâs commitment to working towards a world-class higher education system that is accessible to all,â said Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco). âProviding two years of free community college tuition will make it easier for students to receive a college education and encourage more students to enroll.â
"California's future economy will require about 2 million college students with new academic degrees by 2030," said Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento). "By providing two years of free community college, California will help more students graduate with less debt, and will grow the number of degree and certificated workers needed to compete in the global economy"
âA college degree can open the door to a lifetime of opportunity, but for many Californians, the cost of tuition is an insurmountable barrier,â said Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale). âWith AB 2, weâre investing in our students and economy by creating pathways to sustainable careers.â
âThe cost of earning a college degree has become a heavy burden on an entire generation of Californians,â said Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland). âYoung people today worry about whether theyâll be able to pay for their dream of going to college without going into mountains of debt. Itâs unfair and unsustainable. Iâm proud to be joint-authoring AB 2 that would make college more affordable and accessible. Iâm pleased this effort is also a key priority for the Governor and look forward to working together to make this a reality. Not only will it help our students, it will also aid California in meeting its future workforce demands and keep our state the worldâs innovation leader.â
âCalifornia canât pretend that the education needed to prepare our workforce for the jobs of tomorrow ends at the 12th grade. If itâs the stateâs responsibility to offer a free public education, then we must offer no-cost access to our great community college system,â said Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego).
AB 2 was introduced on December 3, 2018 and will likely be heard in the Assembly Higher Education Committee in late February/early March. An important component of the California College Promise is to provide students information about financial aid and services available to support their success. Based on 2017-18 data, approximately 28,000 first-time, full-time students are projected to be eligible for a second year of free tuition, assuming their California Community College (CCC) meets the participation requirements of the program. To assist CCC with these efforts, the Budget proposes $5 million one-time General Fund for the Chancellorâs Office to expand outreach around the College Promise.