The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) is one of the largest community college districts in the nation offering tuition free community college to all first time, full time students since 2017.
The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) is deeply appreciative of President Joseph Biden for putting tuition free community college for all American students at the core of his American Family Plan to rebuild our country and economy.
With the support of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and several community-based and philanthropic organizations, LACCD has led the way in providing tuition free community college for all. The LA College Promise program was launched in 2017, which provides tuition free community college to first time, full time students – meaning, every LAUSD graduating high school senior qualifies.
LACCD sponsored AB 19 authored by California Assemblyman Miguel Santiago to make the California College Promise program available to all community college students in the state. To date, the program has enrolled nearly 20,000 students, resulting in improved access, equity and success.
It serves a population that is nearly ninety percent students of color and eighty-two percent low-income. In its first two years, direct enrollment from the Los Angeles Unified School District to LACCD increased by 24%, while direct fulltime enrollment increased by 65%. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, LA College Promise students stayed in school at a higher rate than the general student population.
As President Biden’s American Family Plan recognizes community colleges as one of American education’s greatest and most durable innovations, providing pathways for students from all backgrounds to a secure and stable career in many industries of our future, from information technology to social services and green energy. However, more than two-thirds of students come from under-resourced backgrounds, and many are the first in their families to attend college.
Equally important, the American Family Plan not only provides over $100 billion for two years of tuition free community college for every American student, it also helps support these students by investing an additional $62 million in proven strategies that increase retention and completion rates at community colleges and other institutions. It’s known from the California College Promise program that these additional supports are a critical factor in ensuring student persistence and completion through college.
The life-changing impact a community college education can have on a family and an entire community is widely known. President Biden is commended by LACCD for making the most significant move in our nation’s history to make community college accessible to all.
