District honors SB 893 authors for their impact on improving access to higher education.
San Mateo, CA – Enrollment continues to grow at San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD), with a 24% increase linked to the implementation of the District’s Free Community College initiative, a 5-year pilot program allowing San Mateo County Community College District to pay for San Mateo County residents’ total cost of education (including tuition, books, supplies, and living expenses) or to reduce fees.
“Free College has changed the life trajectory for thousands of families in our county,” said SMCCCD Board President John Pimentel. “With Free College, enrollment is up 24% countywide – three times the statewide average. Enrollment from East Palo Alto is up 32%. Over half of our students using Free College are the first generation in their families to attend college. Free College is an efficient investment to enable equitable economic opportunity.”
Senator Josh Becker (13th CA Senate District) introduced SB 893, co-authored by former State Assembly member and current U.S. Congressman Kevin Mullin and State Assemblymember Marc Berman, in January 2022. The bill was signed into law by Governor Newsom on October 31, 2022. Since it took effect on January 1, 2023, SB 893 has benefited more than 26,650 members of the San Mateo County community.
In recognition of the authors of SB 893 and the empowering impact this legislation has had on the community of San Mateo County, the SMCCCD Board of Trustees presented a resolution to Senator Becker, Congressman Mullin, and Assemblymember Berman last week as a token of gratitude for their exemplary service and dedication to higher education, honoring them as “Free College Champions.”
“We celebrate Josh Becker’s leadership authoring SB 893 which enabled Free College in San Mateo County. We also appreciate Marc Berman and Kevin Mullin whose efforts were critical in SB 893’s passage. San Mateo County is blessed to have this ‘Dream Team’ of legislators who enabled SMCCCD to make Free College happen,” said Pimentel.
Most students benefiting from the Free College support at SMCCCD came from historically marginalized communities in San Mateo County, with more than 41% of students in the Assessment Year 2023-2024 identifying as Hispanic/Latino/a/x, 10% as Filipino/a/x, and another 2.2% as Black/African American.
Additionally, most of the students (53%) who benefited from Free College support were the first in their family to attend college.
“The success of Free College emphasizes the significant imperative to invest in our students and remove the financial obstacles to higher education,” notes SMCCCD Chancellor Melissa Moreno. “Our efforts to make Free College permanent will serve generations of students, ensuring their future in San Mateo County.”
Media Contact: David McLain, Executive Director, Community & Government Relations, SMCCCD (650) 730-8049 or mclaind@smccd.edu
About San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD): SMCCCD operates three colleges, Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College, that provide community college educational services to the residents of San Mateo County. The District’s colleges serve over 30,000 students annually and offer the first two years of college-level instruction in various transfer and career-technical programs. The District is governed by a six-member Board of Trustees, with five voting members elected by voters from designated areas of the County and one nonvoting student member elected by students. Learn more at: https://smccd.edu/