Political Quotes

“I rise to speak in support of the ``BASIC Act,'' which I introduced today. I know how important it is to help students cover the full cost of attending college, including tuition and fees, housing, food, transportation, books, medical, childcare and supplies. In California, even though State and institutional aid programs cover full tuition and fees for about half of students attending a California State University, University of California and California Community College, students struggle to pay for the remaining cost of attendance. Each year, over 300,000 eligible applicants do not receive a state Cal Grant because of limited availability. Non-tuition college costs can exceed $20K annually. Low-income students may spend about half their family income on out-of-pocket costs after grant aid. This bill will help accelerate California's work to make college affordable and provide funding to reach more schools across California and across our Nation. This is especially important at a time when community college enrollment has slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among students of color, lower-income students, and students who have left to work or take care of family members. As we work to build back better and increase affordability and accessibility of higher education, we must help our students stay in school.…”