by Garrett Smiley
Features Editor
Free community college education at Cuesta College has been made available to local high schools,  due to a part of a $25 million award given  to 14 community colleges in California.
The Award for Innovation and Higher Education was granted by the California Department of Finance.
$2 million dollars has been awarded to Cuesta College, making free education a possibility for incoming high school graduates by starting a new program at Paso Robles High School.
The new program will allow for smoother transition of high school students to the next level of education, preparing more students for success.
PRHS students will be able to take college level Cuesta classes at their high school, and complete from Cuesta just a year after getting there and for free.
This coupled with the Cuesta Promise eliminates any financial difficulties inhibiting getting a higher education.