In California, a growing number of institutions and cities are developing community college promise programs. To date, 23 California community colleges offer promise programs. Of those 23 programs, 16 were announced in the last year, indicating that promise programs in the state are proliferating rapidly. California community college leaders say that they expect the number of promise programs in the state to double over the next year.
Promise programs have taken root in states and community college districts across the U.S., but in California, such programs scaled up could have an outsize impact. California’s 113 community colleges serve 2.1 million students, making it the largest system of higher education in the country.
At a gathering of community college and public school representatives in Oakland in August, California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said that partnerships between the K-12 system and community colleges that are a result of the promise programs are, “one of the most exciting things happening in California.”
The cost of tuition and fees California’s community colleges is less expensive than in any other state in the U.S., but the cost is still prohibitive for many students, said Eloy Ortiz Oakley, incoming chancellor of the community college system.
“Tuition is low, but attending a community college is not inexpensive,” Oakley said. “Many of our students live in expensive urban communities in California, the cost of textbooks is still expensive, and the cost of working and going to school becomes expensive.”
Previously, Oakley was the superintendent-president of Long Beach City College, which is home to one of the oldest promise programs in the state. The Long Beach College Promise, which started in 2008, provides a year of free tuition at Long Beach City College to graduates of Long Beach Unified. They are subsequently granted admission to Cal State Long Beach if they fulfill college prep and other transfer requirements, in an effort to smooth the transition between the two- and four-year institutions.
As they are currently organized, promise programs in the state vary widely. Some are “last-dollar” programs, covering the remaining cost of tuition and fees not already covered by grants or scholarships, and others provide other services, such as tutoring, or grants to pay for books and other costs associated with school.
