(Sacramento, CA) - Assembly Bill 3101, the Community College Application Accessibility Act, by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), was approved by the Assembly Higher Education Committee on a bipartisan vote of 13-0 late yesterday. This bill would require the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges (CCC) to simplify the complicated community college application and make it accessible for all applicants.
“As a first-generation college student, East Los Angeles Community College played a pivotal role in my higher education. I understand how challenging and intimidating applying to college may be when you’re the first in your family to do it,” said Assemblymember Carrillo. “Without guidance in the application process, prospective students can become frustrated and discouraged to the point of not completing the application. AB 3101 would make the application process more inviting, less intimidating and streamline the questions to make more sense. We want more students to apply, take their courses, graduate and become the skilled workforce our State needs.”
In 2016-17, 2.1 million applications were submitted to enter the community college system. With abandonment rates ranging from 5 to 11 percent among different colleges, this leads to hundreds of thousands of forgotten students and future workers. These missed applicants represent a significant lost opportunity for our labor force and we should work collaboratively to curb these trends.
“A lengthy, overly complicated application to community college is a barrier that must be eliminated if we are to be inclusive to all who want a college education. AB 3101 streamlines the process and returns community colleges to their original intent where a college education should be easily accessed and not something that starts with a morass of intimidating paperwork just to get in the door,” said Los Angeles Community College Chancellor Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Christopher Martinez, Los Angeles Community college student added, “I found the community college application to be tedious and I, along with many other students, are subjected to the many invasive and repetitive questions that the application asks for. It would be great if the application were simpler so that it could be more accessible for all students. The college system caters to all ages and individuals of diverse backgrounds so it should be common sense for the application to be comprehensible.”
Los Angeles Community College Trustee Gabriel Buelna stated, “On behalf of the LACCD, I’m proud to work with Assemblymember Carrillo on this important legislation to ensure the application process for entrance into California’s community colleges is streamlined. We need to make sure no one is left behind in their quest for a college education because of a cumbersome application process.”
AB 3101 now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for a vote in the coming weeks.
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Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo was elected to the 51st Assembly District in December of 2017. She is a member of the Rules, Appropriations, Public Safety, Health and Water Parks & Wildlife Committees. Carrillo represents the people of East Los Angeles, Northeast Los Angeles, and the neighborhoods of El Sereno, Echo Park, Lincoln Heights, Chinatown and parts of Silver Lake.
CONTACT: Alicia.Isaacs@asm.ca.gov, (916) 319-2051