A bill that would allow all students to attend community college for free statewide undermines the principle that education is a privilege, according to a Republican candidate for Congress.
“It should be a voucher system more than anything,” said Omar Navarro, who is campaigning for election to the U.S. House representing California's 43rd Congressional District. “Education is a privilege. If people want to go to college, they should pay for it out of their own pocket, not the taxpayers.”
Navarro, 33, was responding to the news that Assembly Bill 2266, known as the ‘Free Community College for All’ program, had been approved by the California Assembly and will next be heard in the state Senate.
“I don't want to get into any school unless I knew that I was qualified to go to that school,” he said. “I want to know that I earned my right to go to school and earn a degree, not that it was just handed to me.”
Assemblymembers Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), and Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) introduced the proposed legislation earlier this year as part of the California College Promise program.
“I know that free community college will change the lives of all Californians. Educating communities empowers communities, plain and simple,” Santiago said at a press conference.
Last year, some 33,000 students received a tuition waiver to attend California Community College, according to media reports.
The proposal, if approved by the Senate and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, would widen the fee waiver eligibility to include students who previously dropped out for two or more semesters.
“Anybody could abuse the system,” said Navarro, who attended El Camino Community College before private college. “That's the problem with government is the more government we have, the more ways we create the ability for people to abuse it.”
Navarro is on the Nov. 8 ballot after advancing out of the June 7 primary. He now faces the task of unseating Democrat incumbent Maxine Waters.