A year after the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) launched its guaranteed basic income program, students who received $1,000 a month are reflecting on how the support has affected their lives. The BOOST initiative—short for Building Outstanding Opportunities for Students to Thrive—was introduced in 2024 and provided monthly payments to 251 students pursuing health careers at four LACCD campuses: East L.A. College, L.A. City College, L.A. Southwest College, and L.A. Trade-Technical College.
Adriana Orea, a pre-nursing student at L.A. City College and parent of a three-year-old, described her experiences balancing school, work, and family responsibilities over the past year. She said that despite personal challenges and stress from news about families being separated by immigration officials, she found encouragement in her son’s progress in preschool and her own academic achievements.
Orea attributed some of her success to the financial stability provided by the BOOST program. “I’m so close,” she said regarding her goal of becoming a registered nurse. “I can’t wait to be in there.” She also noted that the extra funds helped her get out of debt and begin saving money.
The BOOST program was funded through more than $4 million in private donations from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the California Community College Foundation. Eligible students were invited to apply via email if they were studying health-related fields at one of the four participating colleges.
Kelly King, chief advancement officer at LACCD, explained that BOOST was designed both to help address local demand for healthcare workers and to provide relief from financial pressures faced by students in Los Angeles County’s high-cost environment. King shared data indicating that participants had an average household annual income of $31,853; most were women (72%), with 65% identifying as Hispanic or Latino and 18.8% as African American; nearly half had children living with them; and their average age was 32.
The district is now evaluating what impact these direct payments have had on student outcomes as it considers future steps for similar initiatives.
