California’s Assembly Bill 91 took effect this fall, which makes certain students from Mexico who cross the border to attend community college classes eligible for in-state tuition rates as low as $550 per semester.
In order to qualify, students must be categorized as “low-income” and have a home address in Baja California within 45 miles of the US border. Those students would have the chance to attend community colleges within the San Diego and Imperial Valley area.
Assemblymember David Alvarez, the lead author of AB 91 and one of its leading proponents, celebrated the bill’s enactment as a step towards integrating foreign students into the state’s education system.
“Never bet against someone from the border,” Alvarez said, according to KBPS. “We always find a way to make things happen.”
Alvarez also stressed the bill’s promotion of diversity as a major benefit.
“This pilot program can unlock a significant untapped resource to prepare a more diverse population among our workforce,” he said. “I want to thank all the advocates who supported this bill and for fighting to expand education opportunities to every community.”
“This is a testament to the quality of education that our community colleges are providing. They can serve students from other places, especially when it makes sense geographically as it does for our unique region down here in San Diego.”
California’s state legislature passed AB 91 last October, but the bill did not take effect until the 2024 academic year; it will cease to be effective on July 1, 2028.
A number of politicians have voiced concerns surrounding the bill’s financial feasibility. Assemblymember Devon Mathis, a Republican representative from Visalia, noted that the increase in state funding required to offset tuition slashing may exacerbate concerns about the state’s budget in the face of an already-large deficit.
“We need to ensure this bill won’t pull funds away from the rest of the community college system, and do more to encourage students to stay in California and build their careers here after graduation,” Mathis wrote in an email. “With a $22 billion deficit, we should look to public-private partnerships with businesses and the trades rather than creating a new taxpayer-funded program.”
Campus Reform has reached out to the California Department of Education and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s office for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
