Guaranteed basic income program will pay 250 LA Community College District students $1,000 per month

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- A guaranteed basic income program that would pay 250 students at four Los Angeles Community College District colleges pursuing health careers $1,000 per month for 12 months is available Wednesday.

Supporters bill the Building Outstanding Opportunities for Students to Thrive as the nation's largest guaranteed basic income program for community college students. It will be available to students at four district colleges -- East Los Angeles College, Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, and Los Angeles Southwest College.

The program aims to bridge the gap between financial aid, wages and students' cost of living, according to Gerun Riley, the president of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, which has donated $3.175 million to the program. The Young Adults Forward Fund, an initiative of the California Community Foundation, has donated $867,500, Riley said.

"Over the past several decades, pathways to good jobs have become longer and more challenging to navigate," Riley said. "BOOST will accelerate and strengthen the credentialing process for young people pursuing careers in the medical field, benefiting students and their families while also addressing health care labor shortages."

The first round of funds will reach students just before Thanksgiving, Riley said.