A CUHSD guiding principle is to “focus on equity to provide all students with what they need to be successful.” One way to achieve this is to provide unique opportunities for underrepresented student populations to learn about higher education options.
On Monday, November 26, thirty freshman and sophomore students from Westmont, Prospect and Del Mar High Schools toured Santa Clara University and learned about the financial aid opportunities available to them.
Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit college recently named the top-ranked regional university in the western United States in the2019 U.S. News & World Report due to factors such as its 90% graduation rate and quality of education relative to price. Santa Clara University also focuses on diversity and inclusiveness as part of its mission, vision and values. The student population at SCU is 18 percent Spanish speaking or Hispanic. Through the school’s Leadership, Excellence and Academic Development (LEAD) scholars program, the university provides academic and advising support, peer mentoring, and community building to first-generation college students.
After touring the school, many students said they felt inspired to work harder to receive the necessary GPA requirements to be accepted into Santa ClaraUniversity.
“It’s something I can work up to,” said Prospect High School student Ema Ghazipur. “ I’m going to look for ways to get into Santa ClaraUniversity.”
Students also learned about the college application process and requirements, including information on financial aid and the FAFSA forms. CUHSD students can learn more about financial aid and how to apply to college by visiting their college and career centers.