To assist Long Beach’s population of former college students working without a completed degree, Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal recently announced the introduction of Assembly Bill (AB) 1858.
This proposed bill would create a new pilot partnership between California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and Long Beach City College (LBCC) in which former CSULB students who left university before completing their bachelor’s degree are awarded joint associate degrees.
According to CalMatters, the bill would also authorize the chancellors of the California Community Colleges and California State University (CSU) to include three additional community college districts and CSU campuses in the pilot program. As it stands, only LBCC and CSULB would be required to participate in the program.
“Too many Californians have completed significant college coursework but left without a degree to show for it,” said Lowenthal in a public statement. “AB 1858 recognizes that progress and turns it into opportunity. This pilot will help former students earn a meaningful degree that supports better jobs, higher wages, and economic mobility, while showing how institutions can work together to close California’s ‘some college, no degree’ gap.”…