Riverside Press Enterprise

Pledging college

10:00 PM PST on Thursday, March 1, 2007

California's economy requires a skilled and educated work force. So the Early College Commitment Act, which encourages more Californians to attend college, serves a worthy policy goal.

State Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena, introduced SB 890 last month. The bill would let middle school kids from poor families sign pledges to finish high school and apply to college. In return, the state would guarantee the students a spot in community college or the state's four-year institutions.

SB 890 avoids creating a costly new financial-aid program, but points students toward the federal and state aid already in place. The bill counters the notion that a low income shuts out motivated students. Scott says that poor students' financial despair contributed to the fact that just 52 percent of California high school graduates went to college immediately in 2005. And in the Inland area, that percentage was just 37 percent.

Local experience suggests SB 890's outreach can work. Riverside Community College in 1996 started the "Passport to College" program. The school offered free tuition to 6,700 students in Riverside County -- something state law already allows California's poorest students. Inspired by the pledge, nearly half the "Passport" holders planned to attend RCC when they were seniors.

College doesn't just enrich the minds of students, but the state as well. California's economy will suffer if the state does not produce a better-educated work force. The Campaign for College Opportunity released a report last week warning that key high-tech jobs will go unfilled if college enrollment doesn't soon spike upward.

Not enough high school students take advantage of California's decades-long promise to provide higher education for all. And SB 890 is just the boost the state's poorest students, and the economy, need.

Note: The original editorial refers to AB 890, whereas the correct bill number is SB 890.