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EWA​, the professional organization dedicated to ​strengthening the community of education ​writers and improving the ​quality of education coverage ​to better inform the public, hosts ​a weekly podcast featuring lively interviews with journalists.

Mar 21, 2017

Ashley Smith of Inside Higher Ed discusses why the Golden State is leading the nation in free community college initiatives. Currently, a quarter of all such programs nationally are located at California institutions. The growth is a mix of grassroots efforts by individual campuses, cities, and community organizations. At the same time, California’s Democratic lawmakers are pushing for a statewide effort to add even more free seats at two-year colleges. Who are the students most benefiting from this boom in opportunity? What evidence is there that these kinds of tuition breaks spur long-term benefits for individuals and communities? Where are similar initiatives gaining ground in other states? And what other hurdles do students face to earning a diploma beyond paying for it?