The Ready2Work program reimburses healthcare students at San Diego City, Mesa, Miramar,
and College of Continuing Education needing help paying for certification expenses
that can exceed $1,000. Since launching in 2023-24, Ready2Work has grown nearly 80%,
according to district data for the just-completed 2025-26 academic year. A total of
363 students were reimbursed in 2025-26, up 21% from the previous year. Since the
program’s inception, 865 students have been reimbursed.
Katherine Tyler is one of them. Her Medical Laboratory Technician training at Miramar College included nearly four months of unpaid, full-time clinical work. Her licensing costs include $235 for the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification examination, $300 for the California Medical Laboratory Technician license, and $155 for the American Society of Clinical Pathology Phlebotomy Technician certification exam.
“The only way for a lot of students to be able to do a program like this, especially with the unpaid clinical hours, is if you have some financial help,” said Tyler, who has a conditional offer from a global life sciences and healthcare company pending her passing a final certification in July. “Having these fees covered removes a large amount of financial anxiety.”
Asked how she would have covered her licensing and testing fees without Ready2Work, Tyler said, “I would have had to either ask my parents, put it on a credit card, or put everything off until I could save up enough money.”
Students across the SDCCD shared similar stories.
“With Ready2Work, I was able to concentrate on my NCLEX more than having to be worried about picking up an extra shift,” said Julius Lozada, who graduated from San Diego City College’s nursing program in 2025 and now works as a registered nurse at Sharp HealthCare. “With the help of them (Ready2Work) I was able to pass my exam on the first try.”
“This grant has been one of the only reasons I have been able to actually register for my board exam on time,” said Adrianna Peters, who is studying to become a physical therapy assistant. “In the PTA program, we are required to complete three unpaid clinical rotations where I had to be at my clinic 45 hours a week for about seven weeks each rotation. The financial sacrifice has left me paying rent bills late, bills unpaid, cell phone almost being shut off. I had a great preliminary job interview last week and hope to enter the PTA workforce immediately.”
Frey, after committing a $1 million gift in late 2025, underscored the program’s broader value. “For the students, the Ready2Work program helps them obtain the licenses needed to achieve their professional goals. For the rest of us, the program strengthens the medical infrastructure we all depend on.”
More than 400 emergency medical technician students have been reimbursed for licensing exams since the program began, followed by 105 nursing students, 77 certified nursing assistant students, and 58 health information management students.
“Too many of our students were earning degrees and certificates in high-demand health programs, only to be sidelined for months or years by the cost of testing, fingerprinting, background checks, and state licensing,” said SDCCD Chancellor Gregory Smith. “The Ready2Work Program is a powerful example of how community investments can remove barriers from entry to the workforce.”
“With Ready2Work, I was able to concentrate on my NCLEX more than having to be worried about picking up an extra shift,” said Julius Lozada, who graduated from San Diego City College’s nursing program in 2025 and now works as a registered nurse at Sharp HealthCare. “With the help of them (Ready2Work) I was able to pass my exam on the first try.”
“This grant has been one of the only reasons I have been able to actually register for my board exam on time,” said Adrianna Peters, who is studying to become a physical therapy assistant. “In the PTA program, we are required to complete three unpaid clinical rotations where I had to be at my clinic 45 hours a week for about seven weeks each rotation. The financial sacrifice has left me paying rent bills late, bills unpaid, cell phone almost being shut off. I had a great preliminary job interview last week and hope to enter the PTA workforce immediately.”
Frey, after committing a $1 million gift in late 2025, underscored the program’s broader value. “For the students, the Ready2Work program helps them obtain the licenses needed to achieve their professional goals. For the rest of us, the program strengthens the medical infrastructure we all depend on.”
More than 400 emergency medical technician students have been reimbursed for licensing exams since the program began, followed by 105 nursing students, 77 certified nursing assistant students, and 58 health information management students.
“Too many of our students were earning degrees and certificates in high-demand health programs, only to be sidelined for months or years by the cost of testing, fingerprinting, background checks, and state licensing,” said SDCCD Chancellor Gregory Smith. “The Ready2Work Program is a powerful example of how community investments can remove barriers from entry to the workforce.”
Related Article: Philanthropist Rogery Frey is paying it forward