California lawmakers chip away at state’s college affordability crisis

On July 6, 2017, CALmatters reported, “California lawmakers chip away at state’s college affordability crisis.” CALmatters is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.  Here’s an excerpt of the article:

SO, DID CALIFORNIA DO ANYTHING THIS YEAR TO MAKE COLLEGE MORE AFFORDABLE?

Yes. The state budget Brown signed last week includes about $50 million in new funding for community college students—money targeted for living expenses. Recipients of Cal Grants, which help pay for tuition and fees, will now qualify for nearly $2,500 in new state grants for living expenses, depending on how many credits they take per year.

The budget also protects the Middle Class Scholarship program, even though critics have raised questions about whether the grants are serving the families it was designed to target.

Cochrane said she’s pleased that Sacramento is finally paying attention to college affordability. Her organization is part of a coalition that proposed several alternatives for the Legislature to consider next year when it revives talks on the Assembly’s “degrees not debt” plan.

“The focus on big proposals is exciting,” Cochrane said. “It signals a willingness and interest in dedicating new resources to higher education affordability. The next question to discuss is how to spend that money.”

Read the complete article on the CALmatters website.