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Mission

We are students fighting for free college. As tuition hikes, campus hunger and homelessness, and overwhelming student loan debt put higher education out of reach, we are leading a movement to put college within reach for all.

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1,200 percent

increase in the cost of tuition in a generation

Take Action on Your Campus

Fight for Free College

Our grassroots campaign is led by students and supporters like you. With your help, we can make California a state where hard work and talent -- not income or wealth -- determines your success in college and beyond.

Lead the Movement

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$1.5 Trillion

in student loan debt nationwide.

  • #MotivationMonday Start your week off right with some LGBTQ students wins across California 💫🏳️‍🌈
  • “Being able to provide for my family while I get my education has always been part of my responsibilities.” - Jessica Burgos, Cañada College 🎓⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ ⠀ “For me, the finances involved in tuition have been a large reason as to why I went to community college after high school. I help my parents with numerous bills. Being able to provide for my family while I get my education has always been part of my responsibilities. I wanted to be a nurse and transfer to a CSU in the near future but now that I recently switched my major I have to reconsider my plans. I have to look at finances to make sure I can make ends meet while I also achieve my dreams. If tuition was free, I would have been able to explore different majors sooner and I wouldn’t have changed my major so late in the game. Also, I would have been able to go directly to a UC after high school which would affect the types of jobs I can apply to. I wish free tuition gets implemented soon because I know there are many other students like me, that have have to help their families, all the while they try to move forward for themselves.” - Jessica Burgos , Cañada College 🎓⠀ ⠀ #College #Students #Politics #FreeCollege #FreeCollegeTuition #StudentDebt #Advocacy #California #Michigan #Rise #RiseFree #studentsmatter #studentsvoice #freecollegetuition #collegeforall #california #collegelife #highered #studentdebt
  • California lawmakers are making a downpayment on students with two years of free community college and expansions of financial aid. 🎉🎊There's still much more work to do, but you spoke up and California students are benefiting as a result. 🎓 #freetuitionfriday
  • Our advocacy worked! 🎉🎊 California will now offer two years tuition free at community colleges 🎓👏
  • “If we had free college, we wouldn’t give up on our education. We would all have equal chances to go to college to pursue our academic goals.” - Nhung Pham 🎓⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ ⠀ ⠀ “I am an undergraduate student at Grand Rapids Community College. My parents worked hard in minimum wage jobs to support my family. They hoped we could go to college and have a better job in the future. Going to college was my biggest dream, however, I struggled deciding to college, because of high tuition. Luckily, I got help covering tuition with financial aid and some scholarships. My parents were so proud of me because I was the first generation to go to college in my family. Besides that, I worked several part time jobs to get money for books, gas, foods and other expenses. Free college is really important to relieve some financial burdens. Free college would give us more time to go deeper in lessons, get more involved in school, and participate in volunteer activities or any activities which help us in our future career fields. If we had free college, we wouldn’t give up on our education. We would all have equal chances to go to college to pursue our academic goals. “ - Nhung Pham⠀ ⠀ #College #Students #Politics #FreeCollege #FreeCollegeTuition #StudentDebt #Advocacy #California #Michigan #Rise #RiseFree #studentsmatter #studentsvoice #freecollegetuition #collegeforall #california #collegelife #highered #studentdebt
  • “I helped better my college for my fellow classmates and my community. I am studying my generals right now in hopes of becoming a nurse when I transfer to a 4-year university.” 👏 - Arianna Harmon, Glen Oaks Community College 🎓⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ ⠀ “I absolutely love attending a growing college like Glen Oaks college. Glen Oaks has gone through lots of construction in the last year that has made huge changes and I got to be apart of all of it! I helped better my college for my fellow classmates and my community. I am studying my generals right now in hopes of becoming a nurse when I transfer to a 4-year university. I try to pay for my college tuition with just my financial aid, because my family is not able to help. I support free college because college is very important to living a full life. You need college to get the jobs you want and the money you need. Free college would really benefit many students who rely on loans - for these students, debt starts super early and they have to deal with paying back huge amounts of money for the rest of their lives.” - Arianna Harmon, Glen Oaks Community College⠀ ⠀ #College #Students #Politics #FreeCollege #FreeCollegeTuition #StudentDebt #Advocacy #California #Michigan #Rise #RiseFree #studentsmatter #studentsvoice #freecollegetuition #collegeforall #california #collegelife #highered #studentdebt
  • #Motivation Monday Congratulations on your new degree 🎓🎊🎉 Read Vanessia‘s story ➡️ “I thought college would be impossible because of my undocumented status. I was able to qualify for DACA but had to go to college much later than my peers so that I could pay for it.” - Venessia Ruiz, SJSU .⠀ .⠀ ⠀ "From a young age I knew I had to go to college to move forward. I thought college would be impossible because of my undocumented status. I was able to qualify for DACA but had to go to college much later than my peers so that I could pay for it. I did not want to go into debt and there weren't many scholarships for DACA students at that time. I think if college tuition was free, it would completely change the fate of many students. It would have given me a helping hand and I wouldn't have had additional stressors during my time in college. I've been able to finish my Masters in Video Production, but I hope there's a change soon so other people don't have to go through what I had to go through." - Venessia Ruiz, SJSU #College #Students #Politics #FreeCollege #FreeCollegeTuition #StudentDebt #Advocacy #California #Michigan #Rise #RiseFree #studentsmatter #studentsvoice #freecollegetuition #collegeforall #california #collegelife #highered #studentdebt
  • “Many students are frightened by the large tuition fees of universities all over the United States and end up never going to college” - Supriya, Grand Rapids Community College 🎓💫⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ ⠀ ⠀ “My name is Supriya, and I’m a student at Grand Rapids Community College. I believe the two years at GRCC should be tuition free. The amount of students around the state looking to GRCC for their further education and goals are uncountable. Many students are frightened by the large tuition fees of universities all over the United States and end up never going to college. Thankfully, community college saves a huge amount of debt and money. Making it completely free would further open options and benefits for students and individuals looking to education for their last chance or only hope. Around the world, countries allow students to have a completely free education. These countries are able to do this and still manage their economic and financial status. Why is it only the States that college is so expensive then? We can change that if we are willing to.“ ⠀ ⠀ #College #Students #Politics #FreeCollege #FreeCollegeTuition #StudentDebt #Advocacy #California #Michigan #Rise #RiseFree #studentsmatter #studentsvoice #freecollegetuition #collegeforall #california #collegelife #highered #studentdebt
  • Tens of thousands of college students across California experience homelessness. Check out a few of their stories in @nowthisnews to see what college is really like for some students #RealCollege
  • “If there was free college tuition, I wouldn’t have to sign up for CalFresh, and I wouldn’t have to worry about when my next meal is going to be.” - Frankie Valdez, UCM ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ “The main reason I decided to come to college was to not only make my family proud but to make something of my life and set an example for my future kids and those who look up to me. I want to get as much knowledge as I can and obtain my degree, so hopefully in the future I can do what I am passionate about. I have seen multiple friends pay large amounts of money out of pocket and if they can’t, they get drowned in loans. If there was free college tuition, I wouldn’t have to sign up for CalFresh, and I wouldn’t have to worry about when my next meal is going to be. Food wouldn’t be an issue which would allow all students to focus more in school and on their grades. But me personally, I would have that financial burned taken off, not only me but my parents as well because I know they do so much to support my college degree. Free college tuition can give an opportunity to those who wish to obtain a college degree but can’t due to the financial restrictions that they have and that can prevent people from obtaining their dreams and goals.” - Frankie Valdez, UC Merced ⠀ ⠀ #College #Students #Politics #FreeCollege #FreeCollegeTuition #StudentDebt #Advocacy #California #Michigan #Rise #RiseFree #studentsmatter #studentsvoice #freecollegetuition #collegeforall #california #collegelife #highered #studentdebt

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$7 billion

States Are Spending Less On Higher Education Than Before the Recession

Check out our petition here.


College costs 1,200+ percent more today than a generation ago.

Join the students fighting back.


Sign our petition to join the fight for free college.