Free City is a partnership between City College and the City & County of San Francisco to provide its residents free tuition or grants for financial aid recipients to City College.
City College is ideal if you’re looking to earn a two-year associate degree or to transfer to a 4-year college or university. Our Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program allows successful students to transfer to one of six University of California campuses or to several participating California State Universities.
We offer hundreds of classes taught by faculty dedicated to the art of teaching (not teaching assistants). City College also offers one of the largest certificate programs in the country.
Free City students who currently have outstanding Free City debts that were incurred between the Fall 2017 to the Fall 2022 terms. This includes students who would have been eligible for Free City but either did not have a Free City Affidavit on file or may have filled one out incorrectly. See below for more details.
FREE City FAQs Toggle All Free City Debt Relief Program (Fresh Start)1. Who is covered under the Free City Debt Relief Program (FCDP)?
A. Free City students who currently have outstanding Free City debts that were incurred between the Fall 2017 to the Fall 2022 terms. This includes students who would have been eligible for Free City but either did not have a Free City Affidavit on file or may have filled one out incorrectly.
2. The Free City Program was not available during the 2018 summer term. Will those outstanding balances be covered under FCDP?
A. Yes. Only students with established San Francisco Residency prior to the start of the Summer 2018 are eligible.
3. What fee's will be covered under FCDP?
A. FCDP will cover the Free City outstanding tuition balance as well as the following fees:
NOTE: The FCDP does NOT cover other Financial Aid related fees such as Pell overpayment and the student loan fee.
4. Do students who already made a payment get a refund?
A. NO. Payments made prior to the availability of the Free City Debt Relief Program funds are not refundable. Please note that funds approved to pay outstanding balances for the terms between Fall 2017 and Fall 2022, is a one-time opportunity for eligible City College students.
5. When will the outstanding balance hold be lifted?
A. Outstanding balance holds will be automatically lifted once the funds have been applied to student accounts. Eligible students do not need to do anything in order for the funds to be applied to their account and will be notified once this process has occurred. Should students have questions they may contact the Bursar's Office: bursar@ccsf.edu.
6. When will FCDP funds be applied to student accounts?
A. Funds have already begun to be applied to student accounts and will continue to be applied over the coming weeks in reverse chronological order (for example, students with outstanding balances from the Fall 2022 semester will have the funds applied to their accounts first, followed by the Summer 2022 term and so on until all accounts have had the funds applied). Once the funds are applied, a notification will go out to students on a weekly basis via email and/or text message.
7. Who can I contact if I have any questions regarding the Free City Debt Relief Program?
A. Please contact the Bursar's Office at bursar@ccsf.edu. For their office hours and other contact information, please visit the Bursar's Office page.
Free City, who is eligible?Free City eligibility must be finalized and determined by the last day of the semester for which you are applying and registering for courses. The student is responsible for resolving any fee discrepancies by the last day of the semester for which the charges are being assessed.
How do I apply for Free City?