Sacramento, CA – The California State Senate Education Committee today gave its approval to AB 2, a bill that would expand tuition-free community college from one year to two years. This comes just weeks after Governor Newsom signed an historic state budget that includes the $48 million needed to fund measure.
The passage of AB 2 will set the policy rules around how California College Promise resources can be spent. The bill was recently amended to allow community colleges to determine the definition of “full-time” for certain students. With this change, students living with disabilities, who are unable to enroll in 12 or more semester units, could still qualify for a fee waiver under the law with permission from their institution’s leadership.
“California’s future depends on the success of the next generation,” said Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), the architect of California’s tuition-free community college program. “This bill is going to make sure that the dollars we’ve set aside to make community college tuition-free are spent to give every single first-time, full-time student a real shot at a higher education they can actually afford.”
Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) added, “Students across the state are facing record challenges. California owes it to our students to make tuition free community college a reality. Tuition free community colleges will increase in-state student enrollment, allow more students to graduate with less debt, and empower students to be able to participate in the global marketplace.”
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) added, “Two years of community college allowed my mom to start a career in nursing and put our family on the path to the middle class. Every Californian deserves that opportunity. We must offer no-cost access to our great community college system.”
Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) said, “It is time we restore the promise of free community college in California. Whether it be the cost of tuition, finding affordable housing, or paying off student loans, it is crushingly expensive to be a student today. AB 2 will help alleviate some of that burden and give community college students across California a helping hand by offering two years of free tuition.”
Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Corona) said, “In providing a second year of community college, we are working to ensure that California has the best-educated workforce to maintain our competitive edge as the fifth largest economy in the world. As state legislators, we must reaffirm our commitment to the success of California’s students. The future of our state depends on it.”
Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) said, “AB 2 will help reduce the crushing impact of student debt on so many Californians by making community college much more affordable and accessible. As a joint author, I’m proud to see AB 2 pass the Senate Education Committee. This is exactly how California should be leading. With AB 2, the state makes a critical commitment and investment to help students achieve their dreams of going to college as well as to help create the skilled workforce of tomorrow that our state’s growing economy demands.”
Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) added, “A college degree can open the door to a lifetime of success. AB 2 will ensure that thousands of California students will have access to the education, skills, life experiences and opportunities that our network of community colleges can provide.”
Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Orange County) added, “I am excited that AB 2 has passed the Senate Education Committee this afternoon. As a teacher for 30 years, I understand the value of education in an individual’s life. By expanding the College Promise Program, we encourage working class students and their families to strive for higher education, with an assurance that the cost of higher education can be attainable. When California reinvests in its students, we are investing in an educated workforce and a promising future.”
The measure continues to earn strong support in the Assembly, including seven joint-authors. That powerful coalition now includes Assemblymembers Bonta, Cervantes, Chiu, Friedman, Gonzalez, McCarty and Quirk-Silva. Assemblymembers Carillo, Gipson, and Rivas have joined the fight for two years of free community college as co-authors.
The bill now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for its next hearing.
Assemblymember Miguel Santiago is the Chair of the Assembly’s Communications and Conveyance Committee, and a member of both the Assembly Public Safety Committee and the California Latino Legislative Caucus. He represents the 53rd District composed of the cities of Los Angeles, Huntington Park, and Vernon.
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