California Community Colleges Board of Governors Approve 14 Community College Districts to Participate in the California College Promise Innovation Grant Program

March 20, 2017

Paige Marlatt Dorr

Office:  916.327.5356

Cell:  916.601.8005

Office E-mail: pdorr@cccco.edu

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Community Colleges Board of Governors today approved the selection of 14 community colleges districts to participate in the California College Promise Innovation Grant Program, which provides financial support to implement or expand College Promise partnerships. The grant program was established by AB 1741 (Rodriguez and O’Donnell), which was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in September.

“California is a national leader in the establishment of College Promise partnerships, and we are excited that this grant program will lead to even more of these community-based efforts to increase college going rates and improve student success,” said Board President Cecilia V. Estolano. “College Promise partnerships  make college more affordable and help students on the path to a degree or certificate and good paying jobs.”

AB 1741 directs the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office to make the grants available to eligible California community colleges. SB 826 (Leno), the Budget Act of 2016, includes one-time funding of $15 million for the implementation of the grant program. Multi-college districts submitting an application on behalf of more than one college were eligible for up to $1,500,000 in funding; multi-college districts submitting an application on behalf of a single college and single-college district applicants were eligible for up to $750,000 in funding.

The California community college districts selected to participate in the grant program are GrossmontCuyamaca ($1,500,000); Kern ($1,500,000); Los Angeles ($1,500,000); San Jose Evergreen ($1,500,000); San Mateo ($1,500,000); State Center ($1,500,000); Barstow ($750,000); Butte-Glenn ($750,000); Contra Costa ($750,000); Long Beach ($750,000); Santa Clarita ($750,000); Shasta-Tehama-Trinity ($750,000); Sierra Joint ($750,000); and West Valley-Mission ($750,000).

In addition to other requirements, community colleges must develop partnerships with their local school districts and community organizations that will enable successful programs to be replicated across the state, and must be able to provide clear pathways for students to follow in order to achieve their educational goals.

College Promise programs generally create partnerships between K-12, community college and four-year university segments to provide pathways for students to achieve educational goals. California is a leader in the establishment of College Promise partnerships, with more than 50 in place or in various stages of development.

 AB 1741 was inspired in part by the nationally recognized Long Beach College Promise, a successful partnership between Long Beach City College (LBCC), the Long Beach Unified School District and California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). Through the program, students are guaranteed a tuition-free year at LBCC and preferred admission status to CSULB after completing the minimum transfer requirements.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. Community colleges supply workforce training, basic skills education and prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions. The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. For more information about the community colleges, please visit our website.