COM tuition offer on the right track

College of Marin is opening its doors a lot wider for people who want to take its classes, whether to pursue a career or get on track to a four-year university.

For the spring term, starting later in January, COM is waiving tuition in hope of attracting students who might otherwise not be able to take college classes due to the cost.

“We want tuition to be one less thing they have to worry about for the spring semester,” said COM President David Wain Coon.

COM is also waiving student debt incurred from March 2020 to November 2021 as further encouragement to those students who may have left the college owing money.

The tuition-free term is open only to Clear Path students and waives the tuition and some of the mandatory fees for up to 18 units.

The waiver does not apply to Community Education students.

For the college, the waiving of costs will be covered by federal COVID-19 relief funding, which requires that some of the funding be used for emergency financial aid for students.

COM’s leadership is not only hoping the waiver will increase access to its courses, but reverse recent declines in enrollment.

Last spring, in the midst of the pandemic, enrollment dropped by 8.4%. Enrollment for the fall was down 6% from the same term last year.

That pattern reflects a statewide trend where community college enrollment has slid by 10.6%.

Tuition amounts to $46 per unit for Marin residents and about $150 in additional fees. The cost for non-residents is much higher, but it also will be covered by the waiver.

Parking fees and the cost for textbooks still must be covered by students.

Besides providing an opportunity during the spring semester, the offer also provides a test for the much-debated proposal to waive tuition for community colleges nationwide.

Getting the word out about the waiver and students’ performance in terms of completing their classes and continuing their education will be important to the success of this test.

So will making free registration as easy as possible.

COM is already a financial bargain, compared to the high cost of four-year colleges. But even at COM, student fees have grown in number and cost.

This is a chance for COM to further its commitment to racial and economic equity.

COM appears to be on the right track, providing an invitation to those interested in a college education an attractive and encouraging opportunity — a nudge that could make a huge difference to many who might otherwise think, due to cost, that doors are closed.