Low-income Mexican students living near the US border can now cross over and attend certain community colleges in California at in-state tuition rates under new legislation signed by Gavin Newsom.
The legislation, signed by the Democratic governor on Friday, applies to low-income Mexican residents who live within 45 miles of the California-Mexico border and want to attend one of the participating community colleges in the southern part of the Golden State.
Students involved in the pilot program, which will begin next year and run until 2029, must be either US or Mexican citizens with the required visa.
Average annual California community college tuition is $1,246 for in-state students and $6,603 for out-of-state students.
A new law that makes college costs much cheaper for Mexican residents will help make education more affordable for low-income students and prepare them for jobs, California State Assemblyman David Alvarez, who authored the proposal, said.
“There are students who may actually be US citizens but happen to live in the Baja region because of the cost of living,” Alvarez told the Los Angeles Times.
California’s Gavin Newsom signed legislation allowing low-income Mexican residents near the US border to attend certain community colleges at in-state tuition rates. AP Photo/José Luis Villegas, File
“So, there are some students who find themselves in that situation who don’t have California residency because the family can’t afford to live here.”
Currently, about 7,000 students cross the California-Mexico border every day, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Mark Sanchez, who is president of Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California — about seven miles from the Mexican border, said many of his students split their time between the two countries.
“Without these pilots, we’re risking everything in terms of losing talent,” he said.
The program is only for people from low-income families living 45 miles from the California-Mexico border who attend participating colleges. Photo by GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images
Under the law, community college boards would have to submit a report to lawmakers by 2028 to show attendance rates and the demographics of students involved in the program.
Separately, Newsom on Friday also signed new legislation that raises the minimum wage for health care workers to $25 an hour over the next decade.
The new law is the second minimum wage increase Newsom has signed after he passed legislation to raise the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 an hour.
According to the president of Southwestern College, many of the school’s students divide their time between California and Mexico.Southwestern College
The latest move was somewhat unexpected given that the Newsom administration had previously expressed concern about the bill because it would impact the state’s struggling budget.
California’s Medicaid program is a major source of revenue for most hospitals.
The Newsom administration has warned the pay hike would cause the state to raise Medicaid payments to hospitals by billions of dollars.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
