Many, if not most, community college students enroll with the idea of transferring to a four year university and earning a bachelor’s degree or more. Unless you’re Van Wilder, you’d like to get in and out with a degree that will help you attain a good job.

This may soon become a somewhat easier goal for many more people with state Sen. Marty Block’s (D-39) proposed Senate Bill 850. This bill would allow community colleges to begin offering programs that offer bachelor’s degrees without even having to transfer to a four year university. In fact, 21 states already do this so it wouldn’t even be an unprecedented move.

This is an idea that would be convenient, affordable and helpful to both students and future employers. First of all, community college students wouldn’t have to transfer to universities, which saves them from the hassle of moving and having to find new jobs after relocating. This isn’t so much a problem for community colleges’ which, true to their name, serve mostly students from the local community.

There is also a very large demand by employers in various fields including science, math and engineering. Opening up more opportunities for students to earn bachelor’s degrees would help fill these needs and fulfill educational requirements to get these jobs. This is a bill that not only helps student and potential employers but also helps ease the stress on the UC and CSU systems which have too many applicants and not enough seats. We’ve all read about the nightmare of wait-lists across the state.

Senate Bill 850 helps students who, for various reasons, can’t afford to attend four-year colleges or relocate the traditional way. While there is criticism about this, the bill only asks for a pilot program so the state and its educators can further study what the effect would be. California needs to make changes to ensure it has an educated workforce.

This bill is possibly a very good step towards that. As a community college student this bill helps both financially and personally. Imagine staying at Skyline College, taking the required courses and graduating without the hassle that comes with transferring.

If the bill is passed community colleges would begin offering the program beginning in the fall semester of 2015. In a February interview with SFGate.com, Senator Block said “students would pay less than the $5,960 yearly tuition but more than the $46 a credit charged by community college”. A hearing on the bill is currently scheduled for April 23 and will surely have the attention of students and professors.