San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced this week that the city is going to be the first in the country to make City College free for all students - no matter what their income is. “To California residents who are living in San Francisco,” He says “your community college is now free.”
The funds will come from raising real estate transfer tax for commercial and residential properties valued at over $5-million. The city will guarantee close to $5.4-million a year to City College for tuition of students who live in San Francisco. To qualify as a resident, a part-time or full-time student must live in the city for at least a year and a day.
"Making City College free is going to provide greater opportunities for more San Franciscans to enter into the middle class,” San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim says. “And more San Franciscans to stay in the middle class if they currently are."