Free tuition will be provided to the residents of San Francisco, announced the city’s Mayor. This would be done in partnership with a Community College which will make it the first city in the country to offer free tuition to its residents.
Ed Lee, Mayor of San Francisco announced that “The government will set aside $5.4 million per year for enrolment fees and other expenses for the City College of San Francisco students.”
However, $2.1 million of the total amount will be used to cover the cost of credit classes for California residents who have lived in San Francisco for a year.
The remaining $3.3 million in funding will go towards covering books, transportation, supplies and health fees for low-income students who have applied for Board of Governors (BOG) tuition waivers. Submit your details through this Federal Student Aid page to be a part of this initiative.
“The funding will cover 45,000 credits, wherein $46 credit will be allocated per student”, said the City College spokesperson, Jeffrey Hamilton. This is because course loads will vary and it is unpredictable as to how many students will come forth to receive free tuition until registration closes in fall,” he added.
This program was initiated to provide educational assistance to 28,000 to 30,000 students. This is bound to help the less fortunate students to have a level footing with students that study in City Colleges across San Francisco. However, there is no clear estimate as to how many students will enroll in this program.
Talking about progressive free education, Lee stated that, “This commitment will provide our residents the opportunity to attend college.
It will help them continue to learn and create better lives for themselves. This is an investment in our youth, in our city and in our future.”
Free College- A Way Forward
Influenced by Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign for president, Mayor Lee’s vision of a free college program has gained popularity in the state of San Francisco.
However, there are several other states that provide free tuition programs, that came into effect post Former President, Barack Obama’s initiative of a free community college in 2015.
Other states like Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee, and Minnesota have last-dollar scholarship programs that cover any remaining tuition fees with varying eligibility requirements.
Mr. Lee’s plan of a free college is different from all other existing programs in the country. It allows all residents to enroll in the program, regardless of age with no varying eligibility requirements.
New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo’s proposal of tuition-free community colleges and Gina Raimondo proposal of two years of free tuition at state colleges and two years of benefits for community college students were pillars of making Lee envision an initiative that can benefit the poor. Bernie Sanders’ hailed the New York Plan and mentioned that it was a model for the nation.
Determining Your Unemployment Claim
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