{"id":2054802,"date":"2023-10-04T05:35:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T09:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-bill-allowing-mexico-residents-to-pay-in-state-tuition-at-community-colleges-poised-to-become-law\/"},"modified":"2023-10-04T05:39:27","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T09:39:27","slug":"california-bill-allowing-mexico-residents-to-pay-in-state-tuition-at-community-colleges-poised-to-become-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-bill-allowing-mexico-residents-to-pay-in-state-tuition-at-community-colleges-poised-to-become-law\/","title":{"rendered":"California bill to grant Mexico residents in-state tuition at community colleges set to pass"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcalifornia-bill-allowing-mexico-residents-to-pay-in-state-tuition-at-community-colleges-poised-to-become-law%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2054802&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Affordable Tuition for\u2064 Low-Income \u200cMexican Residents\u2063 in California Community\u2064 Colleges<\/h2>\n<p>A groundbreaking California bill is on the verge of becoming \u2062law, aiming to make higher education more accessible \u200bfor low-income\u2062 residents of Mexico. Assembly Bill \u206391, introduced by Assemblyman David Alvarez, proposes a \u200dpilot program that would allow Mexico residents living \u200cwithin 45 miles of the California border to\u200d pay in-state tuition at select \u2064community colleges in San Diego and Imperial Valley\u2062 Counties.<\/p>\n<p>The program, set\u2063 to begin in fall 2024, would provide an opportunity for Mexico residents to pursue their education\u200d and\u2064 contribute to the local economy.\u200c However, it \u200bcomes with an expiration date of July 2028, unless renewed by legislators.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/college-enrollment-rebounding-at-california-community-colleges-5501504?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">College Enrollment Rebounding at California Community Colleges<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>9\/30\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/cal-state-system-to-launch-dual-enrollment-program-for-community-college-students-5149619?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">Cal State System to Launch Dual Enrollment \u2062Program for\u2062 Community College Students<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>3\/25\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According\u200c to San Diego economic development \u2064leaders, the \u2062county \u200dneeds to increase its \u2062number of post-secondary education graduates by 2030 to meet\u200b local economic demands. This\u2062 translates to approximately 20,000 new skilled workers annually, as stated by\u200d Mr. Alvarez&#8217;s office.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Alvarez emphasized the importance of passing the bill, \u200cstating that it \u200bwould \u2063allow students to enter the local workforce, \u2063addressing staffing\u200d shortages in \u2062critical fields such as nursing, emergency services, and behavioral health. The bill aims \u2064to\u200d ensure that San Diego County remains a prominent player in the international arena.<\/p>\n<p>Under\u200b the proposed program, students would pay significantly reduced in-state tuition fees of $46 per credit, compared to the $346\u2063 per-credit fee for non-residents. With a full-course \u2064load ranging \u200cfrom 12 \u2063to 15 credits per semester,\u2064 annual\u200b tuition fees would \u200bamount to between $1,104 and $1,380.<\/p>\n<p>However, \u2063for the program to take effect, the governing board of the California Community Colleges \u200dmust establish a similar\u2062 in-state\u200b tuition agreement with a university \u2064in Baja California, Mexico, allowing California \u200bresidents to \u200cattend the institution at residential tuition rates.<\/p>\n<p>The bill draws inspiration\u200c from an existing\u2064 agreement that enables \u2063up to 200 students from Nevada to attend California&#8217;s Lake Tahoe Community College.<\/p>\n<p>Assembly Bill 91 has garnered support from various regional\u2063 education\u2063 groups, including the California Community Colleges Chancellor&#8217;s Office, \u200bCommunity College League of California, San\u2063 Diego Community College District, and the Governor of Baja California. \u2064As \u200bof\u200b early\u200b September, there is no recorded\u200d opposition to the bill.<\/p>\n<p>The bill passed the state \u200dAssembly with\u200d a 65\u20138 vote in May \u200dand received a 33\u20136 vote of approval from the Senate in early September. It is now awaiting the governor&#8217;s decision, with a deadline of October 14.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Enrollment Challenges and\u2064 Recovery<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Enrollment in \u2063California&#8217;s community\u2063 colleges has reached its lowest point \u2064in 30 years, \u2064experiencing \u200ban \u200c18 percent\u2064 drop from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-dakota-lowers-unemployment-to-pre-pandemic-levels-after-state-rejected-lockdowns\/\" title=\"South Dakota Lowers Unemployment to Pre-Pandemic Levels After State Rejected Lockdowns\">pre-pandemic levels<\/a> in 2019. The state&#8217;s\u200d 115 community\u2062 colleges lost approximately 340,000\u200d students between 2019 and 2022, according to \u2064data from the California\u200c Community \u2062Colleges Chancellor&#8217;s Office.<\/p>\n<p>Both the Los\u200b Angeles\u2063 and San\u200b Diego\u200d community college districts witnessed \u200ba significant 25 percent decline in enrollment since spring 2019.<\/p>\n<p>While there are signs of recovery, with an 8 percent increase in \u200denrollment reported for\u200b the past spring, numbers remain 16\u2063 percent lower \u200bthan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-governor-declares-state-of-emergency-over-bidens-border-crisis\/\" title=\"Democrat Governor declares emergency due to Biden's border crisis.\">pre-pandemic \u200dlevels<\/a>. Efforts are\u200d underway \u200bto address this decline, \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-bill-allowing-mexico-residents-to-pay-in-state-tuition-at-community-colleges-poised-to-become-law\/\" title=\"California bill to grant Mexico residents in-state tuition at community colleges set to pass\">including reimagining financial aid packages<\/a>, emergency grants,\u2064 and scholarships \u200cto attract more \u2062students.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2>Would free tuition\u2062 decrease the \u2064value of a college education?<\/h2>\n<p><span>The\u200b idea of college being free could actually decrease the value of\u200c a college degree.\u2063 Since everyone can afford one, it may become more commonplace and\u2062 could lower salaries for those who\u2064 already have a bachelor&#8217;s. This fee reduction could potentially \u2062save students thousands of dollars per year. The program would also open up opportunities \u2063for Mexico residents who may \u200dnot \u200chave previously been able to afford higher education\u2062 in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>In order to qualify for the program, \u2063Mexico\u2064 residents must meet certain criteria. They must have lived in Mexico for at least 12 months prior\u200c to applying, be 18 years of\u2064 age or older, and be able to provide proof of \u200bresidency within 45\u200d miles of the California border. Additionally, they must demonstrate financial \u200bneed and meet the\u200b admissions criteria of the participating community colleges.<\/p>\n<p>The bill has received significant support from various \u200dorganizations and community leaders. It has been endorsed by the San \u200cDiego \u2062Regional Chamber of\u200d Commerce, the Mexican \u2064Consulate General in San Diego, and various educational \u200dinstitutions in the \u200bregion. These\u2064 supporters believe that the program \u2064will not only benefit individual \u2064students\u200d but\u2062 also contribute to the overall economic\u200b development of the area.<\/p>\n<p>Critics of\u200d the bill argue that it prioritizes non-residents over \u200dU.S. citizens and \u2062legal residents. \u2062They believe that California community colleges should \u200cfocus on providing\u2064 affordable \u200deducation to local students instead. However, \u2062proponents argue that \u200dthe\u200d program will attract talented individuals and \u2063provide them with the skills and \u2063education necessary to contribute to the local \u200dworkforce and economy.<\/p>\n<p>If passed,\u200c Assembly Bill 91 could serve as \u2063a model for\u2063 other \u2063states looking to make higher education more accessible\u200c for low-income residents of\u200b neighboring countries. It would not \u2063only provide educational opportunities for\u200d Mexico\u2063 residents but also strengthen cultural and economic ties between the \u2063two regions.<\/p>\n<p>In\u200c conclusion, Assembly Bill 91\u200c proposes an innovative pilot\u200c program that aims to provide affordable tuition to low-income residents of Mexico living\u200c near the California border. The program has the potential to benefit both individual \u2063students and the local\u200d economy\u200b by addressing staffing shortages in critical fields and increasing the\u2063 number of \u2062post-secondary \u200ceducation graduates in San Diego County. While \u200bthe bill has faced some criticism, it has \u2064also garnered significant support \u2064from\u2062 various organizations \u2063and\u2062 community leaders. If enacted, the program could serve as a valuable model for other states looking to expand educational opportunities and strengthen international \u200crelationships.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A bill in California aims to reduce tuition fees for low-income Mexican residents attending local community colleges. Assembly Bill 91, proposed by Assemblyman David Alvarez, is close to becoming law. The bill would establish a pilot program for Mexico residents living within 45 miles of California.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":433,"featured_media":2054803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2054802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/433"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2054802"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054802\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2054803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2054802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2054802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2054802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}