LA Promise Program extends deadline for prospective full-time students

The LA College Promise Program, which provides free tuition for two years as well as other benefits, is still accepting applicants until this Tuesday.

By Gabriel Arizon, Editor-in-Chief

The Los Angeles College Promise Program is extending its deadline to Sept. 15, allowing first-time college students who apply the chance to receive two years of free tuition.

Beginning in 2017 as a one-year educational and scholarship success program, it has since expanded to provide students who enroll full-time free tuition for two years. Any first-time student can apply, regardless of age, gender, race, economic background or immigration status.

The program was founded in partnership between LACCD, the mayor’s office, the LA Unified School District and the LA Chamber of Commerce with the intent of improving college enrollment and completion, according to their website. As stated in a media advisory sent by LACCD, more than 16,000 people have enrolled in the program since its inception.

“We have increased over 50 percent … in full-time enrollment from LAUSD over the last couple of years,” LACCD Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez said in a meeting, “and an almost 60 percent increase in the number of students completing a degree in two years.”

Beyond providing free tuition for two years, the program has additional perks such as priority registration, free travel abroad opportunities and a free Chromebook for remote learning. To be eligible, students must be a high school graduate or equivalent, a California resident and must not have completed any college credit (except for college classes taken while in high school).

To apply for the program, a student must first apply to an LACCD college. Next, they must fill out the LACP Interest Form (or contact a Valley College representative for those interested in enrolling at Valley). Then, the student must complete a FAFSA or California Dream Act Application and attend online orientation and counseling. The final steps will be emailed afterwards. Though applying for federal financial aid is a required step in the process, California Assemblymember Miguel Santiago clarified that not qualifying for said aid will not negatively impact a student interested in the program.

“There’s no requirement to actually be eligible for federal financial aid, just that you go through the process … ,” he said. “So the students who are in the situation where they are ineligible for federal financial aid are still eligible from the program and would benefit from the free financial aid and the other wrap-around supports and resources that are provided.”

For more information on LACP, visit their homepage or the Promise page on the Valley website.