Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 968 on June 29, 2026, permanently authorizing San Mateo County Community College District’s (SMCCCD) Free College initiative and removing its scheduled 2028 sunset date. The bill was authored by State Senator Josh Becker and coauthored by Assemblymembers Diane Papan and Marc Berman.
Programs News
Jul 6 2026
May 19 2026
College of San Mateo students and faculty earned major recognition earlier this month at the 16th Annual Community College Honors Research Symposium hosted at Stanford University, showcasing the strength of CSM’s Honors Project learning community and its growing reputation for undergraduate research, interdisciplinary scholarship, and transfer preparation.
Apr 6 2026
A program through the San Mateo County Community College District is leading students affected by the juvenile justice system into higher education, an over-decade model for interrupting the school-to-prison pipeline throughout the state.
Mar 10 2026
College of San Mateo was recently honored by Stanford University with its Community Partnership Award, recognizing CSM’s Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program’s impactful collaboration with the Stanford Community College Outreach Program (CCOP) and its commitment to expanding STEM opportunities for community college students.
Nov 24 2025
Professor of physics and astronomy Darryl Stanford uses the planetarium at the College of San Mateo to show what can be seen in the skies and to teach about the beauty of the heavens.
Jul 8 2025
The San Mateo County Community College District is working to make college truly free for county residents — extending the discount beyond tuition and academics to waive parking permits and health care fees.
May 8 2025
The Promise Scholars Program (PSP) at College of San Mateo (CSM) is a transformative initiative designed to support first-time, full-time students in achieving their educational goals. Modeled after the City University of New York’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), PSP offers comprehensive support services, including up to three years of tuition and fee waivers, textbook assistance, transportation and food incentives, and personalized academic counseling.
Dec 23 2024
College of San Mateo (CSM) celebrated the remarkable achievements of its Fire Academy graduates at a heartfelt ceremony held on Thursday, December 12, in the CSM Theater. This milestone event recognized the hard work, dedication, and resilience of the 21 graduates who have completed the rigorous 16-week academy, a cornerstone of CSM’s Fire Technology program.
Dec 18 2024
The Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program at College of San Mateo (CSM) recently brought students to the 2024 National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference hosted by the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) in Phoenix, Arizona.
Oct 28 2024
A team of future STEM entrepreneurs claimed the top title of a month’s long business pitch competition. Isabelle Ablao of San Diego State University, Michelle Gantos of College of Marin and Auner Barrios Vasquez of College of San Mateo are champions of the 2024 MESA Idea Accelerator.
