Among the district’s record 4,000 graduates this spring are several dozen students from San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges who are graduating debt-free thanks to the San Diego Promise free community college program.

At least 50 San Diego Promise students are expected to earn an associate degree this spring and many others have completed their transfer requirements and have been accepted to a four-year university this fall.

That’s the type of return-on-investment San Diego Community College District leaders envisioned three years ago when they launched the program with a focus on completion. 

The San Diego Promise provides two years of tuition-free education, book grants, and support services for first-time, full-time students. The Promise has grown to include more than 2,000 students in 2018-19 after being launched as a pilot program of 186 students just two years ago. More than 2,500 students have taken part in the program since it began in 2016-17.

Because of additional counseling and support services, San Diego Promise students earn higher GPAs, and complete more classes than their non-Promise peers.

This article originally appeared on San Diego Community College District website. To read the full article, please https://www.sdccd.edu/about/departments-and-offices/communications-and-public-relations/newscenter/articles/2019/promise-graduates-debt-free.aspx