BY ADRIAN JIMENEZ

For those who don’t know, California has been the latest state to mandate that the first year of community college will be free for most students, and in my opinion, the state is taking a step in the right direction.

In a world where prices for almost everything keep rising and rising, the young generation maturing into adults can experience difficulties managing money and paying for their necessities, one of which was education.

Student eligibility is also very high, requiring only that you are a resident of California and are enrolling full time. Regardless of income, any student who matches the criteria are able to attend a community college free.

Now, college-bound students will be able to attend a community college without the cost, giving the student a chance to connect with other people and create a foundation without worrying about money until next year.

However, the charges of other college features like Internet use and student activities such as dances won’t be paid for. One important detail is that health insurance also won’t be paid for, so students still need to invest a large amount of money towards some college functions.

Generally, a student uses around $1,100 for college classes, so a student would be saving the same amount of money. Students could then use this money to establish themselves, and also give them a little less stress to deal with.

Overall, I believe that having the first year of community college free was a great action to take, and one that will be helping students of all families of all income levels to become educated and have a greater chance at success.