Letter from the President: AB 19

October 13, 2017

Colleagues and students,

Some exciting news to share. Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 19 into law Friday afternoon, enabling California community colleges to provide a year of free tuition for the 2018/19 academic year. I have been pleased to personally lend my name and support to the “Rise California” campaign, and I’m thrilled to see this new California College Promise program as a result of their efforts. Free community college could be a game changer for our students and state.

AB 19 waives the cost of first-year fees for any first-time student who enrolls full-time at any one of the 114 California community colleges. As you can well imagine, cost is a genuine barrier to many otherwise college-bound students. The effect of this bill for California is enormous, with the potential to have a significant impact on our citizens’ ability to earn good livelihoods, experience real upward mobility, contribute to their communities and local workforces, and to bring in many thousands of new students into California’s community college system.

To be eligible for the California College Promise, students must be California residents enrolled full-time in a community college, and must complete a Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) or a California Dream Act application. Income will not be a factor in whether students receive a fee waiver under this program.

The California College Promise is estimated to cost an additional $33 million beyond the funds already accessed by students through the Promise Grant (formerly known as the BOG fee waiver). The next task for Gov. Brown and California’s Department of Finance is to locate the funding to cover this cost in next year’s state budget to fully roll out the promise of a free first year of college. This will take place in the 2018/19 budget process starting with the governor’s budget proposal, which is typically rolled out in January. It is also important to note that this is a pilot program for the 2018/19 academic year, and it will be essential to demonstrate the benefits of this program if it is to be renewed in future years.

We’ll have much more about the California College Promise in the days and weeks to come. For now, join me in celebrating this milestone of access for all Californians!