The San Mateo County Community College District would be allowed to offer fee waivers to more students in need by using existing local revenue and without incurring further costs to the state, if a bill authored by state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, is signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Senate Bill 893 was sent by the state Senate to the governor’s desk Wednesday with a unanimous bipartisan vote. It allows the college district to operate a pilot program that expands aid to underrepresented and marginalized community members using unrestricted local funds. The district now helps 2,000 students experiencing financial hardship attend its community colleges. SB 893 would enable the district to defray college expenses for an estimated 6,000 students from San Mateo County, according to Becker’s office.