Senate Democrats announced on Tuesday a comprehensive bill known as SB15, which aims to improve access to higher education, providing help for students to afford college and finish their degrees.

The bill is said to give access to an increased enrollment of 5,000 at Universities of California and 10,500 at California State Universities in the 2015-2016 school year.

Financially, the bill will eliminate the five percent tuition hike for students, repeal this year’s scheduled 11 percent Cal Grant cuts and fund an additional 7,500 non-traditional students with Cal Grant Competitive Awards.

Maria Lopez, Public Relations person for Senator Marty Block said she the Bill will offer $25 million funds to each UC and CSU so more classes can be offered for students to enroll in and finish within the four years. A certain amount of money will also be awarded to students, known as the Completion Incentive Grants, for each amount of units completed by students working towards their four year degree.

“The bill’s focus is helping students from UC and CSU and also provides other assistants in Community Colleges, but primarily it works on getting students in schools that are entering a four year degree program and provide them incentive,” said Lopez.

Lopez said for each year a student is in college, it costs the state up to $26,000 per year with the average student taking up to six years to graduate with a four-year degree.

The bill is not effective yet, however Lopez says it is in print and will be for 30 days before it can be amended when the legislature reconvenes in January.

“There is plenty we agree on and that we can all work together to improve higher education in California. Every kid, every student in California deserves a shot at perusing a college degree,” President Pro Tempore and assistant writer of the bill Kevin de León said.

León also said that if enrollment continues the way it is going now, the amount of workers with college degrees inside of the workforce by 2025 will have a shortfall of 1 million making more citizens of California rely on social safety nets such as welfare and food-stamps.

León said also with a less amount of college graduates in the workforce it would affect the economy of California making it less productive and incomes and tax revenues will be lower for the state.

Marty Block, Senator of District 39 and lead author or the Bill, said 15 is an important number and an important name for the bill because students will be encouraged to take 15 units a semester allowing them to graduate in 4 years and save almost $60,000.

“By finishing two years earlier they [students], of course, not just save $60,000 in the cost of tuition and books and other expenses, but they get out in the work force two years earlier, making money for themselves,” Block said.

Block said for the bill there would be an increase tuition fee to those attending CSUs and UCs by 17 percent from out of state to allow access to and cheaper tuition to those who do live in California.

“Completion, affordability and access, all accomplished by 15 units a semester,” said Block.