SALINAS, Calif. – Hartnell College is thrilled to announce its Salinas Valley Promise program, an initiative that guarantees one year of free tuition for all first-time, full-time students attending Hartnell for the 2018-19 academic year. Hartnell is committed to providing the opportunity for all local students to attend college and/or receive workforce training, regardless of family income.
The initiative is designed to encourage more local students to enroll as full-time students, thereby boosting degree completion and transfer rates to four-year institutions. To qualify, students must have graduated from a Salinas Valley high school (public or private) with at least a 2.5 GPA and/or completed all academic requirements for transfer admission to CSU or UC, also known as A-G completion, be enrolling in college for the first-time, enroll in 12 or more units, and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application. The value of this program to students equals approximately $1,100 to $1,900, depending on the number of units they enroll in.
“Completion of a college degree or industry certification is more important than ever for high demand, high wage jobs of the 21stcentury that require advanced skills and knowledge,” stated Superintendent/President of Hartnell College, Dr. Willard Lewallen. “The Salinas Valley Promise will make college more accessible by eliminating enrollment fees.”
The Salinas Valley Promise program will launch this fall. The initial focus will be on offering free college for a year. Beginning fall 2019, however, the program will also offer increased support structures to students, such as mentorship, leadership and life skills training, in order to strengthen student success. It is anticipated that more than 800 students will benefit annually from this program.
“Throughout recent years, higher education fees have increased to levels that have made it more difficult for students from low-income families to enroll in a community college. Providing incentives like the Salinas Valley Promise will attract more full-time students to attend Hartnell College without financial worry and stress. The Board of Trustees celebrates with Hartnell’s staff, its Foundation and the committee that worked effortlessly to make this happen!” stated President of the Board of Trustees, Manuel Osorio.
For the past year, a Hartnell College task force has been working closely with President Lewallen and the Hartnell College Foundation to develop a comprehensive college promise strategy that will increase opportunity and success for Salinas Valley students. This work was further supported by a Salinas Valley Promise committee, consisting of the following members: Aleen Bradley, Alfred Diaz-Infante, Ana Valles, Andrew Myrick, Antonio Alarcon, Aurelio Salazar, Jr., Elliott Robinson, Esther Rubio, Jackie Cruz, Kate Roberts, Margaret D’Arrigo-Martin, Mary Dominguez, Michele Peregrin, Mike Briley, Olegario Gomez, Dr. Pablo Romero, Rene Mendez, Dr. Romero Jalomo, Ruth Rodriguez and Dr. Willard Lewallen. The extensive contributions by both teams have been instrumental in launching this meaningful initiative.
The Salinas Valley Promise will be funded through private donations, grants and Governor Brown’s California College Promise, a statewide initiative to fund free tuition at community colleges.
For more information, please contact Hartnell College Foundation at 831-755-6810 or visit http://www.hartnell.edu/salinasvalleypromise.
The Hartnell CCD serves over 17,000 students annually through its main campus in Salinas, the Alisal Campus in East Salinas, the King City Education Center, and various outreach learning centers throughout the Salinas Valley. Hartnell College, named Top 9 out of 1400 community colleges for percentage of associate degrees awarded to minority students. Hartnell College is a Hispanic Serving Institution, provides workforce training, basic-skills courses and prepares students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Hartnell College is recognized for its innovative public and private partnerships that support world class STEM education, career technical education, fine and performing arts, humanities, and athletics. We are proud to be the winners of the Innovation Award for CSin3 – a Computer Science degree in three years. We are growing leaders through opportunity, engagement, and achievement. For more about Hartnell CCD, visit www.hartnell.edu.
