Save Free City College for the People
By Isaac Ortiz Dominguez
iortizdo@mail.ccsf.edu
An overwhelming majority of students who attend City College take advantage of the Free City program. According to the Free City Annual Report, 72% of the credit students were San Francisco Residents, and 90% of those students were eligible and took advantage of the program.
City College has a string of issues, especially following a stern warning from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges in January over long-term fiscal issues.
Since 2017, Free City has been a safety net for residents to further their education without financial burden. With a robust list of degrees and certificate, Free City has given the students the opportunity to indulge in what they want to achieve without worry.
Free City is under fire by the city’s government and its future may be uncertain for a while. According to the San Francisco Examiner , Free City’s budget was cut nearly in half from the previous school year. In the 2023-24 fiscal budget, the school was given $18.9 million dollars, but this year it was given $9.3 million for Free City.
The budget will continue to decrease in following years. Free City has been a staple and anchor for the student body and it needs unwavering support from us.
For me, it has given me the opportunity to explore crafts that I have never possibly could have dreamt for myself. I took horticulture classes, creative writing classes, and now journalism. I didn’t feel pressured to ride out one major till the very end.
Free City has been forgiving to me. Giving the green light to stake myself in different places, meet all kinds of people and pick up skills I otherwise wouldn’t have.
There are students who have been gifted the opportunity to revisit other career paths, without the financial burden of paying out of pocket.
In the Free City Annual report, they found that students who were considered “equity students” have seen an increase in enrollment into the program. Equity students are Native American, Black, Latina/o/x, Pacific Islanders, native Hawaiians, people experiencing homelessness, students with disabilities, foster youth, and people who identify as LGBTQIA+.
These students see lower academic success at City College compared to non-equity students. Equity students often participate at lower rates in Free City than their counterparts.
It’s absolutely necessary to give these students a lifeline and to encourage them to participate in Free City more.
In our opinion column “Have your say” from last month, our reporter Kyra Young asked students “Would you still attend CCSF if Free City were not offered?”
The majority said that they would go to City College regardless of Free City not being offered for residents. One quote prompted me to reconsider how much of an anchor Free City is. “I am an SF resident benefiting from Free City, and I would not have attended without it,” said student J. Salvador.
City College needs to continue to offer that lifeline to students who may not otherwise continue with their education. I know I’m one of those students.