Can college really be free?
It
can for East County high school students under a new scholarship program
announced today in which all qualifying graduates of Grossmont Union High
School District schools will be offered a free year of classes at Grossmont or
Cuyamaca College.
The
scholarships, known as the Higher Edge, will first be offered to Class of 2019 graduates
within the Grossmont Union High School District.
In
addition to the scholarships, high school students will be offered support
services and opportunities to explore careers to help them discover a field
that excites them and obtain the education they need to meet their goals.
The Higher Edge scholarship program is the
first in San Diego County to offer high school students a year of free
community college classes. It was created through the East County Education
Alliance, a partnership between the East County high school district and the Grossmont-Cuyamaca
Community College District.
“The
Higher Edge scholarship will transform East County and the lives of thousands
of students,” said Cindy L. Miles, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca
Community College District. “With this scholarship and support, students will
come to college prepared and confident they have the resources they need to be
successful.”
Students
who qualify for the scholarship will be able to take up to 30 units of college
coursework without paying a fee, normally $46 a credit unit. They will also
receive a free laptop, and free tutoring, counseling, support services, and
student success workshops.
A
college degree has become increasing important both for the East County
workforce needs and for students. Studies have found that by 2020, about two-thirds of all jobs will require at least an associate degree or
career training. And community college graduates earn on average
$560,000 more in their lifetimes than someone with a high school diploma.
“This
is an incredible opportunity for our high school graduates,” said Ralf Swenson,
superintendent of the Grossmont Union High School District, which has about
22,000 students. “Every graduate can now have college and career training within
their grasp, no matter their economic background.”
To
qualify for the scholarship, students must have lived in the high school
district for at least two years, have at least a 2.0 grade point average, and
obtain their diploma from a Grossmont Union high school. They are also required
to fill out a federal financial aid form, begin college within a year after
they graduate from high school, and take at least six credit hours of college
classes per semester.
To
help the new graduates be successful, they also must undergo an orientation and
assessment and develop a plan for their college education. Scholarship
recipients will also be expected to complete a summer program before starting
at Grossmont or Cuyamaca that will better prepare them for college.
Although
scholarships will not be available to current sophomores, juniors and seniors in the Grossmont
Union High School District, they will be eligible for free tutoring,
counseling, support services and priority registration through the Leading Edge
scholarship.
The
scholarship program will cost about $500,000 a year, and much of the money for
the first year has already been raised. John Valencia, CEO of the college
district’s foundation, said he is confident money can be raised through a
combination of individual, corporate and employee donations to create an
endowment so the scholarship will continue in perpetuity.
“I
know the East County community will see the value of this scholarship and want
to help fund it,” Valencia said. “We’re excited to launch this innovative
program.”
The
East County Education Alliance was formed in October 2014 as a collaboration
between the East County college and high school districts to provide high
school students with a smoother path to college and a career. The initial
summit at Cuyamaca College drew more than 150 educators and community members.
Since
the initial meeting, Alliance members have been working on issues such as
·
aligning the lessons that high school
students are taught so that it better matches the knowledge and skills they are
expected to have in college
·
increasing the programs that allow high
school students to take college classes,
·
providing communications to high school
students, parents and counselors about how to best prepare for college or a
career.
For more information about the
Alliance, go to www.eastcountyeducationalliance.org.
