New law brings free tuition to thousands of students of Silicon Valley community college

West Valley College student Mike Katakis and his dad are among thousands of students who will earn part of their college education in Silicon Valley for free.

West Valley-Mission Community College District’s tuition will be free for the next seven years for all students who live in San Jose, Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Santa Clara or Saratoga, funded by about $2 million in property taxes from those communities. The opportunity is thanks to a recently signed law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Assembly Bill 3158, slated to sunset in 2031, applies to full-time, part-time and returning students in these areas. Full-time tuition costs about $1,100 a year, which students outside the area will still have to pay without state assistance. Officials say the initiative will fill equity gaps created by the California Promise program’s limitations that leave out part-time and returning students.