Gov. Kate Brown is set sign into law Senate Bill 81, which will greatly help thousands of prospective students attend community college for little-to-no personal expense.
SB 81 will allocate about $10 million and will help approximately 6,000 students in its first year, the Oregonian reported. The state's Senate voted 28-1 in favor of the bill on July 2 and then the House voted 48-12 the next day before receiving Brown's signature last Friday.
To be eligible for the "Oregon Promise," students will need to enroll in community college within six months of graduating high school, where they should have earned at least a 2.5 grade point average. The students will also be required to have lived in the state for at least a year.
Though President Obama wants to make free community college national, Oregon is now the second state to implement such a program. Tennessee saw tens of thousands of students apply for their program, the first in the nation, last Oct. In the announcement of his initiative, Obama indicated he gathered inspiration from the "Tennessee Promise."
Supporters of such programs believe free community college will help students enter four-year institutions ahead on their core classes, thus saving them time and money in obtaining their bachelor's degree. Community college can also help students who do not want to attend larger institutions earn an associate's degree or simply to learn a trade and enter the workforce that way.
According to Inside Higher Ed, California could be the next state to offer a free community college program. The state has more than 100 such schools, including the nation's largest. Free community college in California would have to be considered a massive win for Obama's initiative and for the state's prospective students.
