“Tuition may not seem like a barrier to education, but there are many underprivileged students who do, in fact, need help.
High costs discourage them from accessing higher education and job retraining opportunities.”
- John Pimentel
Unlike his opponent, John Pimentel knows high tuition fees are a very serious barrier to access for community college students, especially those from underserved communities and first generation college families.
As a first generation community college graduate and the son of a Portuguese immigrant, John Pimentel wants to ensure that all students have equitable opportunity to earn a quality education.
John has a plan to make SMCCCD more accessible and equitable for all county residents. The full cost of SMCCCD attendance, including tuition, books, transportation and living expenses, can exceed $15,000 per year.
John recommends the Board show compassion and long-term vision by directing staff to make plans to reduce total cost to attendance, double the Promise Scholars Program and devise tuition-free rapid workforce retraining offerings.
