Middle Class Scholarship Act Slashes College Fees by 2/3

Most middle income families are forced to use student loans to cover the thousands of dollars in fee hikes. Students who finish their education leave school further in debt, and end up sending monthly payments to out of state banks rather than contributing to the local economy.

Even worse, some students cannot afford to pay for college, and give up on the promise of higher education about the most damaging thing possible for the long-term health of the economy.

But there is another way. The Middle Class Scholarship Act, the Assembly Democrats' proposed program to keep college costs way down for middle income families, will ensure that students, graduates and families can keep more of their hard earned cash and stay out of debt.

The Middle Class Scholarship will be paid for entirely by closing a wasteful out-of-state corporate loophole. This win-win opportunity for middle class families and California's future economy needs your help to make it a reality.

With the Middle Class Scholarship, CSU and UC students will fill out the standard financial aid forms. All students with family incomes less than $150,000 that do not already have fees covered will receive a Middle Class Scholarship that slashes fees by 2/3.

For the CSU, approximately 150,000 students will receive the Middle Class Scholarship and save over $4,000 per year.

About 42,000 UC students will receive the Middle Class Scholarship and save up to $8,169 per year.

Community Colleges will receive $150 million to expand affordability efforts. Local districts will have discretion to allocate the funds to best meet their individual needs, such as expanding the use of fee waivers or providing grants to cover the costs of books, transportation, or other educational expenses.

Investing in California's students is an investment in our future. For every $1 we spend on higher education, the state gets a $3 return on its investment (www.cccco.edu). All Californians, including those from middle class families, deserve access to an affordable college education.

The Middle Class Scholarship will be paid for entirely by closing the $1 billion wasteful corporate tax loophole that allows out-of-state corporations to elect to lower their California tax bill. All Californians, including those from middle class families, deserve access to an affordable college education. Closing a wasteful out-of-state corporate loophole will make the Middle Class Scholarship a reality!

Middle-Class Student Fees Can Be Slashed By 2/3 Support in the Legislature.