In a country where so much is going wrong – where a newly appointed President has tried to ban huge swaths of the world from returning home, has thrown out the Constitution and brought white nationalists into the Oval Office – it can be hard to find things that make you smile.

But in San Francisco, where weed is legal and World Series titles flow like water coming in from the Bay, Mayor Ed Lee has given us all a reason to smile. Lee announced yesterday that all San Francisco residents will now be able to attend the city’s community college’s at no cost.

“To California residents who are living in San Francisco, your community college is now free,” Lee said.

 

 

The complimentary education will be paid for by raising the real estate transfer tax for properties valued above $5 million – and in a city where the median home price tipped over $1 million in 2014, there should be plenty of tax money to make up for City College tuitions.

Lee has been petitioning San Francisco’s City Council for some time now, and his free community college rule is expected to benefit some 30,000 students.

"Making City College free is going to provide greater opportunities for more San Franciscans to enter into the middle class and more San Franciscans to stay in the middle class if they currently are," San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim said.

In addition to receiving free tuition, students who meet financial aid standards will also be given $500 dollars for books and school supplies.

The new rules will go into effect next fall, so best get to studying, SF teens!