A California assembly member introduced legislation Tuesday that would provide two years of free community college for students.
Assembly Member Miguel Santiago, who represents District 53 in Los Angeles, introduced AB 2. The legislation, which Santiago authored, would waive fees for two years of community college.
AB 2 calls for community colleges to to waive two years of tuition for first-time community college students who are enrolled at the college full time. You can read the full text of AB 2 here.
"Every student that comes through a community college should at least have the opportunity to earn their associate's degree. It takes two years...but their travel through LACCD or any other community college ought to lead somewhere and it ought to be a public school," Santiago said at a press conference Tuesday.
"In the fight against income and equality, there is no bigger tool that we have than education, period," he added. "Education is the only way to uplift communities from poverty and to grow a stronger middle class in America. And in California, we intend to start here with AB 2."