On Thursday, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that he is planning to launch a free year of tuition for graduate students of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The plan is part of a larger effort to meet President Barack Obama's call in 2015 to make community college education free.
According to Laist, Mayor Garcetti is working on the proposal in partnership with the Los Angeles Community College District and the LAUSD. The mayor's spokesperson said that the measure will likely take effect in 2017, although the deal is not yet finished.
Michelle King, Superintendent of LAUSD, praised Garcetti, saying the bold proposal sends a strong message that all hard-working LA Unified students deserve a robust college education, without taking on decades' worth of debts. Meanwhile, President Scott Svonkin of the Los Angeles Community College District board said that the mayor agreed to raise $1.5 million toward the proposal, dividing its estimated initial $3 million cost to the district.
CBS Los Angeles reported that the partnership between the private and public community will be ran by the Community College District and is set to be deployed at the nine campuses for 7,000 students in 2017. It should be noted that the mayor of LA has no official authority over the school's city, and so Garcetti's role in the proposal appears to be purely advisory, plus fundraising.
Around 80 percent of students in LAUSD meet the federal definition of living in poverty, reports Top News. Research studies indicate that the family income level is one of the primary reasons preventing students from going to college. The announcement could encourage parents and students to focus on their future.
The student community in LA is optimistic about the proposal, and many school officials commended the announcement made by the mayor. Reports say that Garcetti's promised support might be the biggest headline from his third annual State of the City address.
