That shift seems to be paying off. After years of pandemic-related enrollment decline, a growing number of community colleges across the state, from San Diego to San Jose, reported significant increases this fall. That comes after an 8% increase in enrollment last spring across the system of 116 colleges, according to a memo prepared by the state chancellor’s office.
The tuition-free move has also been well-received by students like Paige Stevens, who attends Folsom Lake College.
“I didn’t even know about it. I was set up on a payment plan, paid my first payment, and then the next time I checked my balance, it said it was paid by the California College Promise Grant. I had to look it up,” Stevens said. “Now that I received this financial aid, I was super excited and enrolled in another two classes to take advantage.”
Some campuses have gone a step further and offered awards to students who may not qualify for the Promise Grant program.
Since the 2020-21 semester, Diablo Valley College in Contra Costa County has been offering a “full-time free tuition award” that refunds tuition to students who are California residents, enrolled in at least 12 units, and are maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA and following an education plan.
“DVC is experiencing a moderate increase in enrollment this semester, and although many factors impact enrollment, we are confident that the college’s free tuition programs have played a role,” Marisa Greenberg, a spokesperson for the school, said in an email. “We know from conversations with students that receiving free tuition makes it possible for many students to either remain in college or to take more units, thereby accelerating their time to completing a degree or certificate.”
In the San Mateo County Community College District, tuition has been waived for all students, regardless of income, since the fall 2022 semester. That year, about 1,500 more students enrolled in the district’s three campuses, as compared to the previous year — marking a roughly 9.5% increase, according to Chancellor’s Office data.
The district’s ad campaign, as seen in mailers and online ads, has focused heavily on the free-tuition offering.
Chabot College in Hayward also recently implemented tuition-free enrollment for first-year students, regardless of income.
“At Chabot College, we understand that the ability to pay or offset college expenses yields a greater probability of enrollment,” President Jamal A. Cooks said in an email. “We wanted to make sure to break down the barriers to postsecondary education,” he added, noting that college offers a path to social mobility.
