Pilot Project Aims to Increase College Success Among Low-Income Students

<figure id="attachment_46137" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-46137" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://laprensa-sandiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SanDiegoStateHe… loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-46137" src="http://laprensa-sandiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SanDiegoStateHe…; alt="" width="300" height="213" srcset="https://dev-laprensa.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SanDieg… 300w, https://dev-laprensa.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SanDieg… 1024w, https://dev-laprensa.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SanDieg… 1242w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-46137" class="wp-caption-text">(Photo by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña)</figcaption></figure>
In an effort to help more first-generation and low-income students prepare for college success, the San Diego Foundation announced a pilot program intended to do just that.
The Community Scholars Initiative was announced on April 18 and is a pilot project that aims to help as many as 300 more students who are the first in their families to attend college, or low income, in the course of the next two years.
According to a press release, the initiative will pair “need based” scholarships with wraparound services, academic tutoring, family support, and help with balancing part-time employment and school.
Students will learn how to complete financial aid applications like FAFSA, scholarship applications, as well as the San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship application.
The San Diego Foundation has partnered with the nonprofit Reality Changers and Mar Vista High School, Chula Vista High School and Southwest High School in the Sweetwater Union High School District, according to the release.
Aside from low-income and first-generation students, the project also aims to focus on students who are “underrepresented” at the college level because of financial barriers.
According to the release, the San Diego Foundation partnered with the Sweetwater School District because of the high percentage of Hispanic students at the district, which is 75 percent.
Research from the Public Policy Institute of California found that many low-income and minority students are greatly underrepresented in colleges and universities.
“Diversity in post-secondary education and the innovation economy is an important component of inclusive economic growth in San Diego County,” Kathlyn Mead, president and CEO of the San Diego Foundation, said in the release. “The Community Scholars Initiative will help establish a more comprehensive and effective way to drive currently underrepresented student success in higher education in our region.”
The initiative was launched as a result of a $500,000 grant from the College Futures Foundation to the San Diego Foundation, as well as a $1 million gift from the Barbara More Scholarship Fund at the San Diego Foundation.
“Students in our community possess immense potential but oftentimes they face an uphill battle due to challenges such as limited access to resources and the growing cost of higher education,” said Filemón Jara, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Coordinator and Teacher at Mar Vista High School in the release. “We are excited by the Community Scholars Program because it’s one of the first times partners from multiple sectors are working together toward a comprehensive goal that addresses the complete needs of our young people.”

Author

Andrea Lopez Villafana