San Mateo Daily Journal
Staff report
State officials representing the Peninsula are pursuing legislation that would help San Mateo County Community College District officials provide additional support for students with attendance costs.
“Increasing access to higher education is life-changing. It is one of the most important things we can do for our residents to ensure economic mobility for our entire community,” state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, said in a press release.
Becker is being joined by Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, and Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, in authoring Senate Bill 893 which, if passed, would provide the community college district with the authority to charge less than $46 per unit for students who live within the boundaries of the district
The legislation would also permit the district to waive fees altogether, an offer 2,000 students currently benefit from through the Promise Scholar Program. About 6,000 students currently qualify for the program which offers financial assistance with tuition, books, food, transportation and other fees.