Made possible by the LEAP Project, 100 Santa Fe Community College students and their families will receive $400 a month towards their education as part of the Mayors for Guaranteed Income Pilot Project starting later this month, according to a press release. 

Following an open application process, 100 students were chosen at random, all of whom are young parents enrolled in classes to further their education at the Santa Fe Community College. In Santa Fe, 75% of young families were already facing financial insecurity before the pandemic. Now, the new program hopes to aid those young parents who are pursuing further education but are at a risk of dropping out from juggling work, child care, and school. 

“We're committed to helping our young working families have better lives. It’s wrong for a mom or dad to have to choose between getting an education and feeding their family. We’re giving these families the support they need to realize all the things an education can provide: more security, more stability and a lot less stress. This project makes Santa Fe a leader in a national movement for real progressive change," said Mayor Alan Webber in the release. 

 LEAP stands for Learn, Earn and Achieve Project, and funding for the pilot program came from a grant provided by Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey.