Calif. Community Colleges Now FREE for 1st Year (Sacramento: credit, high school)

[RosieSD]

I'm surprised that no one has yet mentioned that California students will now be able to attend Community College for FREE (first year only). This is GREAT news for California high school students and their parents!

Here's an article about this from the Sacramento Bee:

California will provide a year of free community college for new students


California community colleges will provide a year of free tuition after Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed legislation that aims to boost declining enrollment and address a shortage of college-educated workers in the state.

Assembly Bill 19 waives the first year of fees for any first-time student who enrolls full-time at one of 114 community colleges in the state.

At $46 per credit, or less than $1,400 annually for a full course load, California’s community colleges are the cheapest in the country.

Full story: CA free community college bill signed by Jerry Brown | The Sacramento Bee

Brown refused to sign another broader bill earlier this year that would have made all public universities free. At the time, he said that the cost of that bill was way too high. But, he decided to sign this much smaller bill last week, which is expected to cost only about $31 million a year.

Tennessee, Oregon and Rhode Island have already enacted similar Community College bills for students in their states, by the way.

[payutenyodagimas]

but are the subjects available?

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by payutenyodagimas

but are the subjects available?

What subjects are you talking about?

Every community college in California has classes available if students register by the appropriate deadlines and are flexible about times and days. First year students usually focus on GE courses, and most CCs have plenty of those available.

There is, of course, always the possibility that this free tuition program will increase enrollments at some CCs. That's actually the point of this bill - to increase college enrollments.

So, I'm sure that the CCs will figure out how to handle any increase.

[volosong]

As an adjunct professor in my local community college the past fifteen years, I see this is a good move. It doesn't cost much and I have seen a definite decline in enrollment in my classes since the economic bust ten years ago.

I would submit that they make both years of community college instruction 'free'. However, to discourage the 'professional student', there needs to be a time limit. Maybe four years from the first enrollment. Generally, I am against the state spending money where it shouldn't, but this is a worthy cause for minimal cost. What? Something like a dollar a person per year?

[payutenyodagimas]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

What subjects are you talking about?

Every community college in California has classes available if students register by the appropriate deadlines and are flexible about times and days. First year students usually focus on GE courses, and most CCs have plenty of those available.

There is, of course, always the possibility that this free tuition program will increase enrollments at some CCs. That's actually the point of this bill - to increase college enrollments.

So, I'm sure that the CCs will figure out how to handle any increase.

wasn't it a problem in cal states that students couldn't graduate on time due to subjects/profs not available due to budget cuts?

[shooting4life]

So the limited class availability will now be worse.

[Social Democrat]

This is absolutely a good thing. The only thing that would make it better would be to make the first two years free.

[BB_210]

I don't want to pay for other peoples problems.

BTW, CC is cheap enough as it is. How about young adults taking on some personal responsibility.

[volosong]

Originally Posted by shooting4life

So the limited class availability will now be worse.

No necessarily so. At least at the college where I taught, if there were the students . . . additional sections of a course would be added.

[HB2HSV]

Just to stir the pot...


1). Will they verify legal residency status before accepting enrollment?


2). Will they institute the quota system to limit MORE QUALIFIED but poor people out of acceptance?




Discuss among yourself....