A California community college is offering free tuition and fees to 500 first-year students who apply to its First-Year Promise Plus Program. Rather than provide funding based on academic merit, College of the Canyons is doling out the funds on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“This is an incredible opportunity that increases access to higher education and changes lives,” College of the Canyons Chancellor Dianne Van Hook said. “I urge all potential first-time students to give this serious consideration – and to apply as soon as possible.”
The College of the Canyons program is funded by a state program called California College Promise, and it received nearly $900,000 for the 2018-2019 academic year. Formerly the Board of Governors Fee Waiver, the California College Promise Program claims to be “a program that waives community college tuition fees for qualified students unable to afford it.” This no longer seems to be the case, however.