The program that covers the tab for local students to attend Santa Barbara City College appears to be living up to its promise. Since its inception two years ago, the SBCC Promise — which provides free tuition, fees, books, and supplies for full-time students for two years — has created an uptick in attendance and an increase in full-time enrollment. So far, more than 2,000 students have taken advantage of the program.
“The SBCC Promise is performing even better than my highest hopes,” said Geoff Green, chief executive officer of the SBCC Foundation, which oversees the project. “This fall in particular, the enrollment numbers appear to be going up significantly.”
Promise Director Lucille Boss said that the program removes the economic barriers that traditionally deter some students.
Recent SBCC graduate Detria Davis said that the Promise allowed her to stay on track as a student and not become derailed due to financial pressures. “The SBCC Promise not only made it possible to pursue my education; it motivated me,” said Davis, who graduated from SBCC with an associate’s degree in biomedical sciences and is planning to transfer to a four-year university to earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing. “I thought to myself, ‘I can do this!’”
See sbccpromise.org.