On April 19, local high school seniors will be bussed to City College with the goal of facilitating their enrollment as full-time students for the fall 2024 semester. 

City College’s Promise Registration Rally is an event put on by the SBCC Foundation aiming to ease the transition from high school to higher education for local students. 

During the rally, experts from City College will assist students with the enrollment process, helping them choose classes for the respective majors and degree goals. Free food and drinks will be provided to all students attending. 

Initiated in 2016, the Promise program offers the opportunity for local high school graduates to enroll in City College courses full time for two years, free of charge. 

According to the SBCC Foundation mission statement, “By removing financial barriers, the SBCC Promise is making our community’s college fully accessible to all local students who are willing to make the necessary commitments.”

The Promise program relies entirely on private donations to provide tuition, enrollment fees, all required fees, books, and supplies to students in the program. 

The Promise program is open to a wide range of students, including:

• Local graduates from public, private, or alternative high schools (including homeschool and online school) within the City College district. 

• New students who have obtained a highschool diploma or a GED/CHSPE equivalency within the SBCC District Area.

• California residents, AB540 students, and undocumented students who meet all SBCC Promise eligibility requirements.

To maintain eligibility for the program over the two years covered, students must take a minimum of 12 units per semester and uphold a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Promise students will receive priority registration for the two years they are in the program, allowing them to enroll in classes earlier than other students, ensuring their spots in each class. 

In addition to free classes during the regular school year, Promise students can use their benefits to pay for tuition and book fees that remain active during their time studying abroad. Students can study abroad their first semester as long as they fulfill the program’s requirements. 

To participate in the rally, students must enroll in City College prior to attending. Steps to enrollment as a Promise student can be found on the SBCC Foundation’s website under “SBCC Promise”. 

Students are required to register for the event prior to attendance. Rally registration can be completed on the Promise Rally page on City College’s website. Bus arrival times will vary depending on the high school. 

For more information on the rally or registration, students can email [email protected], call 805-730-4416 or visit https://www.sbccfoundation.org/sbcc-promise. 

Correction: April 15, 2024
A previous version of this story misleadingly stated that the Promise program pays for study abroad program costs. The Promise program only pays for tuition and books, both of which are required for the regular school year as well as any study abroad time period.