USC’s Pullias Center, Price Center for Social Innovation to Collaborate on Project Evaluating Universal Basic Income (UBI) for Community College Students

The University of Southern California’s Pullias Center for Higher Education at the Rossier School of Education, in collaboration with Price Center for Social Innovation, has begun work on a project with Los Angeles Southwest College, part of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). 

The 18-month research evaluation will focus on a pilot program being conducted by the Leonetti/O’Connell Family Foundation (LOCFF) that is providing universal basic income (UBI) to 75 students enrolled at Los Angeles Southwest College who are part of the 2021 Los Angeles College Promise (LACP) cohort. The UBI funds will provide students whose families earn less than $20,000 annually with six payments throughout the academic year to assist them with their college costs. 

The Pullias Center and the Price Center will work closely on this evaluation with the Foundation for Los Angeles Community Colleges, Los Angeles Southwest College and LOCFF. Funding for the evaluation is provided by the Leonetti/O’Connell Family Foundation. 

“We are thrilled to be a part of this groundbreaking research to determine the effects of providing universal basic income to a small cohort of LACCD students,” said Dr. Tatiana Melguizo of the Pullias Center and Principal Investigator on the study. Dr. Melguizo will work closely with Dr. Gary Painter of the USC Sol Price Center for Social Innovation, who will serve as Co-PI on the project. To support this work, the Pullias Center has hired Dr. Soumya Mishra who will serve as the postdoctoral research associate. 

The Leonetti/O’Connell Family Foundation serves Southern California by funding innovative projects and initiatives that benefit Los Angeles County and improve the well-being of its communities.