Patch.com
By Eric He
State Sen. Josh Becker (D-Peninsula) introduced a bill Monday that could make tuition free for 6,000 students in the San Mateo County Community College District.
Under Senate Bill 893, the district — which includes three community colleges in San Mateo County — would expand its Promise Scholars Program, which currently can help 2,000 of the 6,000 students who qualify for the program.
“Increasing access to higher education is life-changing,” Becker said. “It is one of the most important things we can do for our residents to ensure economic mobility for our entire community.”
The bill, co-sponsored by Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Kevin Mulin (D-South San Francisco) and Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), gives SMCCCD the authority to set tuition costs at less than the $46 per unit that is required by the state. It also would allow the district to use local revenue to cover enrollment fees.
John Pimentel, a school district trustee, said the district doesn’t need to wait for federal or state funding because San Mateo County is “blessed with strong property values and stable funding.”