California College Waives Tuition Through Fall Semester

Students walk to summer classes at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif., on June 29, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

TORRANCE, Calif.—A community college in Torrance is waiving tuition for its enrolled students through the fall 2022 semester.

El Camino College last month announced its “Tuition Relief Program,” which allows current and new students to attend summer and fall classes for free. The college also will forgive outstanding tuition and fees for students who were enrolled between spring 2020 and spring 2022.

“We are aware that some students had to put their academic and professional development dreams on hold because of costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that by reducing this financial load, students will achieve their dreams of earning a college degree or certificate,” Brenda Thames, the college’s president and superintendent, said in a statement.

The students who want to have their tuition waived must enroll in at least three units for the summer term or six units in the fall.

The program is funded by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, which was approved by Congress to financially support students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, community colleges in California have received approximately $2 billion in COVID relief funds from the federal government through several batches of stimulus checks.

In addition to giving students direct grants, the funds were used in many ways to help students with financial needs to continue their education path. How much a student can receive depends on the school’s population and students’ needs.

For more information about El Camino’s Tuition Relief Program, visit the college’s website.