September 27, 2018, Santa Rosa, CA—Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) announced that first-time college students that sign up to take classes full time may be eligible to receive their first year of tuition at SRJC in 2018-19 essentially “free”!
In October 2017 the California State legislature passed Assembly Bill 19, known as the California College Promise, which provides financial aid to first-time college students attending a California community college with a full-time course load of 12 or more units, regardless of income. This aid covers student enrollment fees of $46 per unit, for those who qualify.
Additionally, SRJC offers the SRJC Doyle Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to eligible students who graduated from high school in the 2017-18 school year with an unweighted grade point average of 2.0 or higher. This assistance, totaling up to $1,200 per student in 2018-19, is available for eligible students who enroll full-time at SRJC.
Together, these two programs allow SRJC students to pursue an Associate’s Degree, participate in a certificate program or obtain the units necessary to transfer to a four-year institution, tuition-free.
SRJC President Frank Chong said that he is proud to be able to offer higher education to local students at no cost to them. “SRJC is an institution focused on inclusivity and on easy access to education,” he said. “We strive to provide as many students as possible with a quality education and this allows us to further that goal.”
SRJC student Leela Langlois said that because she is a triplet, her family has to plan ahead to pay for everything three times over. “When my sister and I both received the grant, it came as a big surprise and we are all so grateful,” she said. “Knowing that my entire first year of college was paid for took a weight off my shoulders.”
More information on free college is available at srjcforfree.santarosa.edu.
Doyle Scholarships
Doyle Scholarships are funded by the Frank P. Doyle and Polly O’Meara Doyle Trust. Since 1950, more than 127,000 students have received Doyle Scholarships, totaling more than $82 million.
These scholarships also have recently expanded to include continuing fulltime SRJC students with a minimum 2.5 GPA.
More information on Doyle Scholarships is available at scholarships.santarosa.edu.
The California College Promise
Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 19, the California College Promise on Oct. 13, 2017. The full text of the legislation is available online: Assembly Bill 19.
Applying for Scholarships
Students can apply for financial aid at the links below or can reach out to the staff at the SRJC Student Financial Services Office for application assistance: scholarships.santarosa.edu
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Alternatively, complete the California Dream Act Application (CADAA), if applicable
