First-time community college students receive free tuition for the first year.
Riverside, CA – The Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees and chancellor applaud Governor Jerry Brown for signing Assembly Bill 19 – the California College Promise – which provides first-time community college students with free tuition for the first year.
“The number one impediment for community college students is finance,” Michael L. Burke, Ph.D., RCCD chancellor said. “Anything we can do to help students financially is a step in the right direction.”
Assembly Bill 19 is modeled after community-based College Promise initiatives that have sprouted up in the state and nationally. The model has shown to improve college-going rates and completion of post-secondary degrees. The California College Promise requires students to enroll full-time and for colleges to provide support services that promote successful outcomes.
“The California College Promise compliments what we are doing in the District,” Burke said.
Moreno Valley and Riverside City colleges launched a College Promise Initiative in fall 2017, awarding scholarships to 506 students at Moreno Valley College and 910 students at Riverside City College. The MVC Promise provide free tuition, textbook voucher, parking and related fees for their freshman year, while RCC’s Promise scholarship includes free tuition, preferred registration, textbook voucher, and a tablet for the first year.
“We applaud Governor Brown and the Legislature for taking this enormous step forward in making community college more accessible for first-time students,” said Eloy Ortiz Oakley, California Community Colleges Chancellor.
“The California College Promise will help foster a stronger culture of college participation that will enhance upward social mobility in California. We look forward to working with the governor and legislature on providing funding to support the California College Promise and additional financial aid to offset the non-tuition costs that create barriers to college attendance for students with financial need.”
For additional information about the MVC Promise, visit www.mvc.edu/promise and the RCC Promise, visit www.rcc.edu/services/pathway/promise.
