Community college can serve as a door to getting a higher-paying job or transferring to a four-year university. But for nontraditional students, especially those who work full-time or care for family members, the cost of a two-year education often slams that door.
The California Promise program, which allows community college districts across the state to waive up to two years of tuition for full-time students, is an excellent expansion to college access — with a massive caveat. Only full-time students are eligible for the program, so many nontraditional students are left out.
The California Promise program was first funded by the state legislature with $46 million through Assembly Bill 19 in 2017, according to the California Community College chancellor’s office.
California Promise has already shown strong results, and the state legislature should expand the program to include part-time students, as well as a broader range of returning students.
California Promise students don’t have to pay tuition for two years, which eases the financial burden of attending community college. These students can focus on learning, not on whether they will be able to pay their next tuition bill.
For part-time students who aren’t included in California Promise, the $46 per unit charge can mean dealing with financial stress and having less available money to pay for food, housing, childcare and other essentials.
As of the Fall 2022 semester, only 26 percent of California community college students were full time, according to state data. By excluding part-time students, the California Promise program’s scope is too limited in who it supports.
According to an article in EdSource, all 116 community colleges in California offer some form of tuition-free education. However, most of these programs are overly specific in who is eligible for them. Students who can’t attend college full time due to work or other responsibilities are often the students who need tuition waivers the most, yet they often aren’t eligible.
Now that California Promise has been around for more than five years, it’s clear that it should be expanded. The state legislature should act to do so.
Part-time, returning and nontraditional students are all demographics that contribute to the important socioeconomic diversity at California community colleges. They deserve a more financially accessible education.
