California Needs More College-Bound Students

The Fresno Bee

In its 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education, California declared that all Californians should have the opportunity for a college education. Alas, California now ranks 40th in the nation in the percentage of students who enter college after high school. …

State Sen. Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, wants to improve the college- going rate with a bill that would create an Early College Commitment Program. Senate Bill 890 passed the Senate on a 32-3 vote last June and went to the Assembly, where it has languished in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. …

SB 890 would establish “college opportunity zones” in school districts with high proportions of low-income students.

Students in sixth through ninth grades would have a chance to sign a pledge in which they promise to take college-prep or career- technical coursework, finish high school, file for financial aid and enroll in college. If they keep their pledges, the state would guarantee them spots in public universities or community colleges.

The state Department of Education puts the cost of the bill at $125,000 – which it promises to absorb in its existing budget. But others are concerned that increasing college-going rates among lower- income students might put cost pressure on community colleges, since lower-income students qualify for fee waivers.

Isn’t more kids going to college a problem worth having?

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