City College of San Francisco. Photo Santiago MejiaCity College of San Francisco (CCSF) will finally be tuition free for San Francisco residents for the first time since 1983.
On Feb. 6, Mayor Ed Lee and the Board of Supervisors agreed to spend $5.4 million to make it possible for residents to attend, and to make books accessible for low income students.
The program is also accessible for students receiving the Board of Governors (BOG) fee waiver.
Students who receive the BOG fee waiver will earn $100 – $250 between six to 12 college units for the Fall and Spring semesters.
District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim first proposed free city college in April 2016.. The proposal went through numerous votes and even passed the November ballot vote, but it still needed approval from Mayor Lee.
CCSF just won a lengthy battle with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) to remain open. That battle resulted in a decline in enrollment from 100,000 to 63,000 students.
Its accreditation was reaffirmed for another next seven years on Jan. 13. College officials are hoping that students will return and register.
Interim Chancellor Susan Lamb said in a statement that she hopes “the prospect of free community college will inspire people to take advantage of this educational opportunity and enroll at City College this fall.”