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California Community Colleges May Waive Fees For 2 Years For Qualifying Students

By SACRAMENTO (CBS13) 

Several California lawmakers want to make two years of Community College free for qualifying students.

Assemblymembers Miguel Santiago (D-53rd District), Rob Bonta (D-18th District), Kevin McCarty (D-7th District) and David Chiu (D-7th District) introduced Assembly Bill 2 on Monday.

If passed, it would expand the California College Promise to cover 2 academic years for certain students. Currently, the program waives some or all fees for certain students enrolled in at least 12 credits a semester, and who have filled out either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the California Dream Act application.

AB 2 states:

“The community college may use funding appropriated pursuant to this article to waive some or all of the fees for first-time community college students who are enrolled at the college full time, and complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application. A fee waiver that a student receives pursuant to this subdivision shall only be for two academic years and fees shall only be waived for the summer term and each semester or quarter of an academic year in which the student maintains full-time status. A fee waiver provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not be available to a student who is charged a tuition fee pursuant to Section 76140.”