Crossing Tuition Borders: Evaluating AB‐91 Through an Equity‐Minded Lens in California Community Colleges

ABSTRACT

California's Assembly Bill 91 (AB‐91), passed in 2023 and effective Fall 2024, authorizes nine community colleges in the San Diego and Imperial Counties region to waive nonresident tuition for low‐income Mexican national students residing within forty‐five miles of the U.S.‐Mexico border. Employing an Equity‐Minded Policy Analysis framework grounded in Bensimon's (2007) concept of equity‐mindedness, this study examines AB‐91's first‐year enrollment effects and the role of institutional capacity in shaping implementation across eligible colleges. We estimate a staggered Difference‐in‐Differences model that leverages variation in implementation timing across two waves of adoption. Results indicate a positive but statistically insignificant overall average treatment effect on Hispanic visa‐holding student enrollment, with trajectory balancing confirming minimal and inconsistent enrollment changes during the policy's initial year. Exploratory analysis of an Institutional Capacity Index suggests that while capacity did not determine implementation timing, it shaped how effectively colleges operationalized the policy once adopted. These findings underscore a persistent gap between equity‐oriented legislative intent and the structural conditions necessary for meaningful implementation.