Youth and Students Organize for Free City College– And Win!
"On July 12, 2016, YOHANA members and I joined a broad coalition of community organizations, educators, and individuals in support of District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim’s Free City College campaign. That day, young people, adults, and seniors marched through City Hall, chanting: “No cuts, no fees, education should be free,” to demand that the Mayor and other Supervisors get on board with the campaign. During the November 2016 Elections, voters were overwhelmingly in support of both our Free City College and funding initiatives, establishing tuition-free community college in San Francisco for the first time in over 30 years. Given that San Francisco is one of the richest cities in the world-- and the center for innovation for the first quarter of the 21st Century-- tuition-free City College is as fundamental as free high school education.
As a junior at San Francisco State University, if I had the option of attending a free community college three years ago, I would have taken it. Instead, I am $40K in debt and still figuring out how my purpose and passion intersect and where I fit in a globalized economy; there's no major for that. Though I attend a four-year university, I have many colleagues enrolled at City College or not in school at all. These days it is quite necessary for students to work while attending college. It’s difficult having to juggle two jobs and school, a reality for many college students that results in high levels of stress or overall dropping out. The financial burden of college is a large reason why students decide not to further their education or not to aim at more prestigious universities. However, tuition-free college gives students the opportunity to figure out what they want to do in life without having to spend so much.
Free City College is a huge accomplishment for San Francisco residents. Although tuition-free college makes higher education more equitable and accessible for low-income students, it benefits the whole community and society. Growing up in the SoMa, I have met many licensed professionals who have immigrated here whose credentials from their home country were not recognized, requiring them to take jobs below their capacity in their struggle to put together a life in San Francisco. In this gateway community for arriving immigrants, tuition-free college affords the opportunity for many of our community members to improve or gain new skillsets. The realities of today’s workforce are that 70% of all jobs require a secondary degree or training, and people with an AA degree or higher make a minimum of $11K more than folks with just a high school diploma.
Tuition-free college for the youth of SoMa means access to better education, less financial stress, and a doorway to a successful future; but this opportunity is not intended just for them. If the working definition of luck is “being ready when opportunity presents itself”, then there is huge potential for our community to become stronger when its people acquire business and technical skills, or master their passion. That alone strengthens our community’s ability to create and cultivate this cultural heritage district we call home.
Free City College is available to anyone who has lived in San Francisco for a year plus one day, which includes DACA students. High school students must have completed 120 hours and apply with counselor recommendation, but fields of study previously not available are open for them to explore without having to pay tuition. For the struggling parents in the SoMa regularly making sacrificial choices for the sake of their families and children, this is a chance for them to invest in themselves and in their family’s future. Frankly, anyone who’s not educated with the tools and skills they need going forward into the 21st century should sign up to learn something useful, like another language. Our seniors can even sign up to learn a new dance or an instrument."
Editor’s Note: Fall registration for City College starts April 17th.
