Barstow, CA – The Barstow College Promise is now available to ALL 2017 High School Graduates from Barstow, Baker and Silver Valley Unified School Districts who will attend BCC in the Fall.
At first, the Promise was going to be offered to a Pilot Group of 100 Seniors from the local school districts. It was designed to ensure that this Pilot Group of students would not have to pay for tuition for their first year at Barstow Community College (BCC). Even if these students did not qualify for enough Federal or State financial aid to cover the cost of tuition, the “promise” was designed to pay the difference. The intent was that new students coming from the local K-12 districts would not have any tuition expenses during their first year at BCC.
The pilot program is expanding. With generous donations coming in from local contributors, and grants being sought and won by the college with the support of the local communities, the Barstow College Promise is fully funded for the first 2 years. Now the “promise” of FREE Tuition is available to ALL BUSD, BVUSD, and SVUSD 2017 graduates. Dr. Deborah DiThomas, Superintendent/President of BCC, explained, “We started with our local schools and community leaders. We put together a plan, and then we asked for contributions from local businesses, organizations and individuals. Then we applied for grants.” The first grant awarded was for $19,000 from the California College Futures Foundation. “That got the ball rolling,” said, Dr. DiThomas. “Then we were able to apply for a larger grant from the State Chancelor’s Office, and we were awarded $750,000 to continue building the program and help pay for the first two years of the promise.”
“ALL of the Seniors at our local high schools are now eligible for FREE Tuition at BCC,” said Dr. Khushnur Dadabhoy, Vice President of Student Services at BCC. She continued, “There is no excuse. The application steps are all mapped out, and most of the Seniors are already engaged in the process.” The high school counselors, and BCC advisors have all been helping the Seniors with each step outlined below:
Step 1: To get started, Seniors should visit http://www.barstow.edu/getting_started.html and complete the Admissions Application, and the Online Orientation.
Step 2: Visit the Computer Commons at BCC (located in the Learning Resource Center) and complete the Assessment test.
Step 3: Meet with a BCC Counselor to develop an Education Plan.
Step 4: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at http://www.fafsa.gov and including the BCC school code: 001119
Step 5: Complete the Barstow College Promise Application at http://www.barstow.edu/promise
All Seniors graduating in 2017 from Barstow, Baker and Silver Valley Unified School Districts are eligible for the program. To enter the program, there is no minimum G.P.A.. Students in the program must be enrolled in at least 12 units per semester, and maintain a 2.0 G.P.A. to stay eligible for the program during the 2ndsemester. Participating students can enroll in either Career and Technical Education courses or Associate Degree programs, or both. To learn more about the Barstow College Promise, please call 760-252-6793 to speak with a Student Success Advisor. To visit the BCC website, go to: www.barstow.edu
