When Christopher Garcia first started taking classes at Southwestern College in Chula Vista in 2021, one of the hardest parts was being away from his family for weeks at a time.
Garcia lives with his parents in Tijuana, which meant he was paying Southwestern’s expensive non-resident tuition rates. He worked hard to save money for his tuition, sometimes staying with a family member in Chula Vista to cut down on the cost of the cross-border commute.
“I had, literally, my life over there in Tijuana,” Garcia said. “It was a big factor of being sad, being emotional.”
But thanks to a new California law, those tuition costs have dropped dramatically for Garcia and dozens of other Southwestern students who live in Mexico and cross the border to get to class.
The law, AB 91, makes low-income students who live in the border region of Baja California eligible for in-state tuition at community colleges in San Diego and Imperial County. To meet the requirements, students have to be a resident of Mexico and live within 45 miles of the border.
In-state tuition at Southwestern College is around $550 per semester, compared to over $5,000 per semester for non-residents. Close to 100 students at Southwestern are currently enrolled through the new tuition benefits, college officials said.
Monday morning, state lawmakers and education officials from San Diego and Baja California gathered at Southwestern for a celebration of the new law, which was passed in 2023, but went into effect this fall.
Assemblymember David Alvarez (D-Chula Vista), who led the campaign for AB 91 last year, said the legislation is part of a broader push to support binational students and increase opportunities for higher education in the South Bay.
“Never bet against someone from the border,” he said in Spanish. “We always find a way to make things happen.”
State Sen. Steve Padilla (D-Chula Vista), who co-authored the law, emphasized the strong economic and social ties between San Diego, Imperial County and Baja California.
“AB 91, I think, really demonstrates that in policy,” Padilla said, “by providing greater access for our binational and transnational community to flourish, to have access to education and to be part of the workforce of tomorrow.”
For Garcia, those reduced costs have made a big difference. Now, he worries a little less about money and has more time to spend with his family.
“Having the opportunity of even having a meal with them in the afternoon or in the morning,” he said. “It’s been a great thing.”
Garcia said seeing the work that led to the passage of AB 91 has also inspired him on a professional level. He hopes to pursue a career in diplomacy and international relations in the border region.
