La Verne, Bonita Unified Sign Higher Education Pipeline Agreement

Educational leaders entered a partnership this month that will guarantee qualified Bonita Unified School District high school students scholarship funding and admission to the University of La Verne after graduating.

University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman and Bonita Unified Superintendent Kurt Madden signed the memorandum of understanding at Bonita Unified’s board meeting Oct. 7 in San Dimas. High school freshmen graduating in 2019 will be the first class to benefit from the program.

“Students close to home now have another option to pursue a college education,” Lieberman said. “This partnership will help provide students and their families direct access to an affordable, distinctive and relevant higher education experience.  We look forward to being the institution of choice for students who are drawn to studying at the University of La Verne.”

Madden said 12 Bonita students who graduated earlier this year are currently attending La Verne, and that number will grow thanks to the agreement. Counselors and principals plan to meet soon to set the program into motion.

“We are delighted to have formed this invaluable partnership with the University of La Verne to promote lifelong learning, postsecondary options, and the experience for our students to attend an exceptional local university,” he said.

Through the agreement, the district plans to provide guidance to students beginning in their freshman year to ensure they meet the university’s admission requirements and enter without need for remedial courses. The University will provide information and enrollment training for Bonita teachers, counselors and administrators.

Qualified students who complete required forms will receive a minimum scholarship of $5,000 for four years of undergraduate studies. University of La Verne Dean of Admissions Chris Krzak said that amount could actually be much higher, because the average scholarship amount for La Verne students is $18,000.

“What this does is it gives high school freshmen the drive to do well in high school and complete the A-G (college preparation curriculum) requirements so that they’re university-bound upon graduation from high school,” Krzak said.