The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) recently announced a major expansion of its tuition-free program known as the San Diego Promise making all recent high school graduates who are first-time, full-time students eligible to receive two free years of college.
Participating students may attend San Diego City, San Diego Mesa, and/or San Diego Miramar colleges.
The expanded San Diego Promise program will cost an estimated $1.86 million in 2018-2019 and be paid for using a combination of state and non-state funds. Participating students’ first year will be funded through an allocation in the state budget called the California College Promise, which implements Assembly Bill 19 (Santiago). Students’ second year will be underwritten through a district-led fundraising campaign.
The district estimates 3,500 or more students may benefit from the San Diego Promise in the 2018-19 academic year. To qualify, students must be a California resident or have attended a California high school for three years, have earned a high school diploma in June 2017 or later, be a first-time college student, enroll in at least 12 units, and have completed a 2018-19 FAFSA or Dream Act application. 
District officials stressed the importance of providing two years of free tuition which will allow full-time students to complete their program of study and enter the workforce or transfer to a university.
“A college education is key to economic advancement, since most jobs now require some level of postsecondary preparation,” SDCCD Chancellor Constance Carroll said. “In addition to excellent instruction, the San Diego Promise program also includes individualized support services, educational planning tools, and counseling in order to ensure students’ success in obtaining a degree or certificate. This is all part of a team effort to provide equitable access to our colleges and to improve student outcomes once they are enrolled.”
As part of the fundraising effort that is aimed at generating increased community involvement in the San Diego Promise, Oscar-nominated actress and Mesa College alumna Annette Bening – a San Diego Promise donor – will headline a Sept. 20 benefit gala at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park.
The announcement took place at a morning news conference held at San Diego Mesa College on June 11. Attendees included dozens of current San Diego Promise students and community leaders who will be assisting in the fundraising campaign. 
Launched as a pilot program in 2016 with 186 students, the San Diego Promise included 661 students at City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges during the just-completed 2017-18 academic year. Expanding the program means first-time, full-time students this fall will not have to pay tuition for two years as long as they complete at least 12 units and maintain a 2.0 GPA.
“Thousands of seniors are graduating this week from high schools in the San Diego Unified School District, and historically one-third will go on to enroll at City, Mesa, or Miramar colleges,” San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Cindy Marten said. “We are absolutely thrilled that the expanded San Diego Promise means all of these students who enroll full time will be eligible for two, tuition-free years at one of the finest community college systems in the country.”
Over its first two years, the San Diego Promise has demonstrated positive outcomes. For example, the average GPA for an African-American Promise student this past year was 3.33, nearly a full point above the 2.37 average GPA for other first-time, full-time African-American students, according to a district analysis. In addition, 19 percent of San Diego Promise students – nearly 1 in 5 – had a 4.0 GPA this past year, whereas 12 percent of other first-time, full-time students had a 4.0 GPA. And several San Diego Promise students who graduated in May are transferring to UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and other four-year colleges and universities.
San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer noted the higher salaries that SDCCD graduates earn – $400,000 more during their working lifetime than someone with just a high school diploma – and said the San Diego Promise is an investment in the region’s future.
“The San Diego Promise program is helping San Diego ensure that our workforce continues to be competitive,” Mayor Faulconer said. “We will have more well-trained graduates contributing to our economy and San Diego’s future rather than worrying about how they are going to pay off their student loan debt.”
Students can learn more about the San Diego Promise and begin the process to sign up by visiting sdccd.edu/Promise and clicking on the “Future Promise Students” tab. The district encourages students to complete a San Diego Promise Interest Form by Aug. 2.
As the second-largest of California’s 72 community college districts, the San Diego Community College District serves approximately 100,000 students annually through three two-year colleges and San Diego Continuing Education.  The three colleges, San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, and San Diego Miramar College, offer associate degrees and certificates in occupational programs that prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and entry-level jobs.  Mesa College also offers a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management.  Continuing Education offers noncredit adult education at seven campuses throughout San Diego.