Free City: reclaiming the promise of free, public higher education in San Francisco
*Current Free City Status: The Free City College program will be implemented at our CCSF beginning Fall Semester 2017. Free City will cover tuition costs for San Francisco residents who qualify for in-state tuition at City College of San Francisco and provide a 100-250/semester stipend for educational expenses for low income students.
More info: www.ccsf.edu/freecity
AFT 2121 is proud to be working together with a broad-based coalition of students, labor, community organizations, and City leaders to make community college free again – like it was before 1984. Our plan will increase access to educational opportunities for tens of thousands of San Francisco residents. Can you imagine what Free City College will do to bring thousands of students back to their education at City College? Join us in leading a growing national movement for free public higher education!
Want to get involved? Contact Organizer Athena Waid: awaid@aft2121.org
The Free City Initiative will:
- Cover in-state tuition enrollment fees for City College of San Francisco students qualifying for in-state tuition who live in San Francisco
- Offset educational costs like textbooks and transit for students with unmet financial aid needs
- Expand the school-to-college pipeline—not the school-to-prison pipeline
- Reverse alarming trends in student debt while helping to grow back and stabilize CCSF’s enrollment
- Serve a diverse range of students with expanded educational access—from traditional college-age students to their neighbors, moms, and grand-moms!
With skyrocketing housing prices in San Francisco, and high student debt, students often face choices between enrollment and rent, between textbooks and groceries. City College serves a diverse range of students, and many of them need additional financial aid. Now we have the opportunity to make City College enrollment fees free for all who live in San Francisco, and to provide additional help to offset educational costs such as textbooks and transportation for students who qualify.
San Francisco has the ability and responsibility to provide the economic support students need to succeed, recognizing that a more educated populace benefits all our communities.
Jump to Free City College Endorsements
Let’s defend our City by making City College FREE!
How does a plan to make City College of San Francisco free for San Francisco residents and workers align with the necessity of making the City more affordable and defending it as a place for all of us, especially working class families working to maintain a foothold while facing the fastest growing income gap in the country? Hear Supervisor Jane Kim spell it out:
At the 5/24/16 SF Board of Supervisors meeting, Kim announces that she looks forward to San Francisco being “the first in the nation to make [community college] free for all of our residents, putting us at the forefront of building more equity and affordability in this country.”
More about Free City:
- Read a memo that covers much of the research that went into this proposal, as presented to the CCSF Board of Trustees 5/26/16
- January 10, 2017 – The Examiner: “Supes give final approval for free CCSF, but mayor has other plans“
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December 13, 2016 – SFGate: “SF supervisors allocate $9 million for free City College tuition“
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November 30, 2016 – KRON 4: “Free tuition for San Francisco City College to be presented to city officials“
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September 27, 2016 – SF Bayview: “Shanell Williams: Make City College free again! Vote YES on Prop W“
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July 12, 2016 – Bay City News: “SF Supervisors OK Free City College for Residents, City Employees“
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July 13, 2016 – SFIST: “Supes vote to make City College free“
- July 2, 2016 – The Guardsman: “Free City College?“
- July 2, 2016 – Inquirer.net: “Residents, officials push for free City College in San Francisco“
- June 30, 2016 – The Examiner: “CCSF may return to being free after three decades“
- April 19, 2016 – 48hills: “Free City College for all? It’s entirely possible“
- April 19, 2016 – KTVU: “SF Supervisor Kim proposes free City College for city residents, workers”
- December 13, 2016 – ABC7 News: “City College of San Francisco free tuition supporters demand budget from mayor“
- December 13, 2016 – SFGate: “SF supervisors allocate $9 million for free City College tuition“
- February 7, 2017 – SFGate: “SF reaches deal for free tuition at City College“
- February 7, 2017- San Francisco Chronicle: “Free tuition marks City College’s rebuilding effort“
- February 06, 2017 – ABC7News: “SAN FRANCISCO WILL BE FIRST IN NATION TO MAKE CITY COLLEGE FREE“
- February 10, 2017 -CNN Money: “San Francisco is taxing the rich to pay for free community college“
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