Community colleges: California College Promise: fee waiver eligibility.

Assembly Member Mark González's proposal to extend California College Promise fee waivers targets students pursuing baccalaureate degrees at community colleges, allowing an additional two years of tuition assistance for those advancing to upper-division coursework. The current program provides fee waivers for two academic years to first-time and returning students who maintain full-time enrollment and complete federal or state financial aid applications.

The extension applies specifically to students matriculating into upper-division courses within community college baccalaureate programs. To maintain eligibility, students must continue meeting existing program requirements, including full-time enrollment status and annual financial aid application submission. The bill maintains current exemptions for military service members called to active duty, allowing them to pause and resume participation without losing benefits.

California Community Colleges currently offer 39 baccalaureate degree programs, serving approximately one million students through the College Promise program. The bill's findings note that California ranks in the top third of states for average student loan debt at $37,400, while the Public Policy Institute of California projects a need for one million additional baccalaureate degree holders by 2030. Under the proposal, the Chancellor's Office retains authority to require participating colleges to submit annual reports documenting fund usage and compliance with program requirements.