FREE CITY COLLEGE: San Francisco residents have a new reason to celebrate—and study. Mayor Ed Lee announced on Monday that City College of San Francisco will soon be free for anyone who has lived in the city for at least one year, making one of the most expensive cities in the country (and world) also the first to offer free community college to all residents.
As part of the plan, the city will pay $5.4 million a year to cover students’ $46-per-credit fee, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The city will also provide $250 to full-time, low-income students and $100 for part-time students each semester for books, transportation, health fees and other costs.
Funding for the program will come from Proposition W, a transfer tax on properties selling for at least $5 million that was approved by voters in November 2016. According to the Chronicle, the measure is projected to generate $44 million annually, with $5.4 million going to students to cover student fees. The plan is expected to begin this fall.
