Alumni Resources:

Future Directions: Aiming Higher

California colleges are far more diverse than those of many other states, but they are nowhere near reflecting the diversity of the state. The Latino population is booming — among state residents far more than in California colleges — and the number of black students at California colleges has risen 24 percent in the last decade, but is down 15 percent from a high of 172,000, in 2002. These numbers are distressing. Currently, according to U.S. Census data, Latinos make-up approximately 33 percent of all California residents, and their population is young. By 2050, California is projected to be over half Latino in population. This spring, about 38 percent of high school graduates in California will be Latino. Only about 17 percent of those — and 19 percent of black students — will have taken the required courses and have the minimum grades and test scores necessary for admission to Cal State. And that data is only from the half of Latino students who didn’t drop out.  (Series on College Access, Inside Higher Ed, 2006)

Aim High seeks to have an even greater impact on our graduates by targeting a group of students who need more intensive, ongoing and personalized support through a new initiative, Aiming Higher.

 

Aiming Higher will target students who are first generation to attend college from their families, those who do not have access to college counseling and support in their high school, and those who need additional support beyond what their families and schools can provide.

The goal of Aim Higher is to target graduates who attend large public schools, those who will be first in their family to graduate from college, and those who have limited resources and support to guide them through the college counseling process.

Students will be selected based on the following criteria:

• First in his/her family to attend college
• Demonstrated family need (based on household income level and/or other family needs)
• Attends a public school
• Lives in an underserved neighborhood

Aim High will also take into consideration the following when selecting Aiming Higher cohorts:

• Student representation from all of the Aim High summer sites
• Student recommendations from Aim High site directors
• Completion of the Aiming Higher application
• Four-year commitment to the program

We hope to roll out this program in 2008-2009. Check back on this site for more information on this exciting new initiative!