A bill that threatens to fundamentally undermine equal access for students to community college courses is sitting on Governor Brown’s desk. Your help is needed to stop this bill from becoming law.
Assembly Bill 955 (Williams) is a misguided idea that would create a two-tier fee system in community colleges by authorizing six pilot colleges to charge their students exorbitant fees for intersession courses. AB 955 fees will run over $750 for a typical 3-unit community college course.
This would make some community college courses more expensive than courses offered by the CSU. Current community college fees for a typical 3-unit course are $138. By raising student fees so dramatically, AB 955 will effectively deny equal, open access to the working class Californians who depend most on our community colleges for public higher education and ultimately, social mobility.
Currently, AB 955 has passed the Legislature and is on Governor Jerry Brown’s desk. This is our last chance to stop the bill from becoming law.
Take action now: it’s critical that your voice is heard! The Governor needs to hear from Californians that while “adding more courses” may sound like a good idea, doing so by raising student fees to exorbitant levels and piloting socioeconomic segregation in our community colleges is unacceptable.
Please let the Governor know right away that you oppose AB 955 and call his office at (916) 445-2841. If you do not get through, hang up and try again in a few minutes. The lines are often busy at the end of the legislative session, but you can get through with a bit of perseverance.
The most important message to communicate when you call is:
“I urge Governor Brown to veto Assembly Bill 955. This bill undermines equal access to Community Colleges in California and runs counter to the promises made to voters during the Prop. 30 campaign.”
If you have any questions about AB 955, call the CFT Sacramento office, 916-446-2788.
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