These community college grads are headed to universities. A basic income program helped make it happen

Under a scorching sun, thousands of students, faculty, family and friends gathered at the Greek Theatre this month to celebrate L.A. City College’s graduation.

In his remarks, the college’s president, Amanuel Gebru, noted that many students had balanced their schoolwork with jobs, family responsibilities and much more. As he listed each challenge, graduates in the crowd nodded along.

“You did more than finish,” Gebru told the graduates. “You rose through uncertainty, overcame setbacks, and held onto hope when it was hard to find.”

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For new graduate Muslima Mirkhalilova, the president’s words rang especially true.

Were it not for the Los Angeles Community College District’s guaranteed basic income program, she said, she may not have gotten to celebrate at the amphitheater.

Born in Uzbekistan and raised in New York, Mirkhalilova was a homeschooled student who struggled to complete her work. “I had zero discipline,” she told LAist.

Growing up, Mirkhalilova also struggled with an eating disorder.

“I did not actually see myself going to college,” she said. “I lost confidence in my ability.”

At 17, Mirkhalilova moved across the country with her mother. With adulthood at her heels, she enrolled at L.A. City College “on a whim.”

At the college, she applied for the district's BOOST program, short for Building Outstanding Opportunities for Students to Thrive.

The pilot program is for students pursuing health majors at four district campuses: East L.A. College, L.A. City College, L.A. Southwest College and L.A. Trade-Technical College.

Since November 2024, participants have received monthly $1,000 installments, which they are free to spend however they choose.

Different paths, same need

The BOOST program was designed to support students like Mirkhalilova: Those on the path to a degree, but who can be especially vulnerable to changing circumstances.

Transferring from community college is no small feat. Surveys indicate that nearly 80% of community college students aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree, but only about a third manage to transfer. Financial insecurity is one of the barriers.

During her time as a student, Mirkhalilova worked as an administrative assistant for a massage therapist. When the business shut down, she suddenly found herself unemployed.

Student parent Brenda Olazava at her L.A. City College graduation earlier this month.

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Julia Barajas

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LAist

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New graduate Brenda Olazava found herself in a similar position to Mirkhalilova, but through different circumstances. Olazava splits her rent with her adult daughter, and, earlier this year, she lost her job.

Olazava also didn’t grow up thinking of herself as college material. For a long time, she said, “I thought school wasn't for me.”

As a teenager, Olazava quit high school after becoming pregnant. But her child fueled her motivation to go back and earn a high school diploma.

Olazava then decided to give college a shot. First, she earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice. Then, after a work injury, she went back to school and took on four more majors: arts and humanities; psychology; social and behavioral sciences; and sociology.

Olazava, who wanted to waste no time, is already studying sociology at Cal State Los Angeles.

Mirkhalilova, who maintained a 4.0 GPA, will soon head north to study psychology at UC Berkeley.

Crossing the stage at the Greek Theatre was never a guarantee for either of them, they said.

For the most part, Mirkhalilova and Olazava used the BOOST program installments to keep a roof over their heads. Olazava has also purchased shoes for herself and her two children. She also bought them new beds and, over the holidays, took them on a trip to visit family in Utah.

Stacia West, co-founding director of the Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania, previously told LAist that these sorts of purchases — things “so many middle- and upper-income people take for granted” — speak to participants’ dignity. Her center’s been hired to study the program’s effects.

Kelly King, executive director of the Foundation for the Los Angeles Community Colleges, which launched the privately-funded BOOST, said the study is ongoing. But early feedback from students indicates that “the program is providing a greater level of stability for themselves and their families, allowing them to continue or even accelerate their educational and career goals,” she wrote in an email.

What’s next for the program? 

The 251 students in the BOOST program, including graduates like Mirkhalilova and Olazava, will continue to receive monthly payments through October 2025.

King said the foundation is “thrilled” for students who’ve completed their community college coursework. When asked about plans for a potential expansion, she said the foundation is seeking funders for a second cohort.

“We’d love to explore a deeper focus on [district] students who are parents, either of infants and toddlers or school-age children,” she said.

“We believe the program could have a positive impact on the educational attainment and overall well-being of multiple generations,” Kelly added.

The foundation is also exploring a guaranteed income program that’s coupled with training programs at L.A. Trade-Tech and other sites. This, King said, “would be a fantastic way to support individuals as they upskill or reskill, while also addressing local labor needs.”