Free City Cuts Draw Backlash From College Community
Mayor Daniel Lurie’s plan to eliminate the popular free tuition program’s cash grants for low-income students attracts protesters.
The voices for the institution crowded at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget and Appropriations Committee meeting on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 20, for a hearing about proposed cuts to City College of San Francisco’s Free City program.
More than 40 speakers told elected officials about their opposition to a 30% reduction to the free tuition program that would eliminate cash grants for low-income students. Mayor Daniel Lurie had proposed cutting the $9.3 million down to $6.5 million.
“Free City is not just about tuition,” Student Trustee Angelica Campos said. “It is about community safety, community well-being and about prevention, education and creating opportunities for students to return to their communities with knowledge."
After 80 minutes of public comments from students, alumni, instructors and general supporters, District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen said that she deeply understood the college’s importance to San Franciscans.
“It is truly an asset and an opportunity to have a fighting chance to survive and to thrive in the city,” she said.
Chen explained that voters approved Proposition W in 2016 to create Free City. The measure states that the program would be funded from real estate transfer taxes on the sale of properties over $5 million.
“We are seeing our projections of higher transfer taxes, so why is Free City College still being cut? Why are we having this conversation to begin with?” she said.
No one from the office of Mayor Daniel Lurie was there to provide information.
Board of Trustees President Aliya Chisti, who managed Free City as an employee of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, spoke before the committee to say that the 10-year agreement was signed in 2019 and ensured free tuition for all city residents.
“In the conversations at the oversight committee, it's a part of the overall cuts at the Mayor's Office is proposing. How they arrived at the $6.5 million specifically has not been clear,” she said.
City College English faculty and Free City Oversight Committee member Alisa Messer said audit reports indicate that the reserves for the program have been depleted.
“A lot of that money seems to have gone back to the city to balance the budget,” she said.
