11 More School Districts Partner with University of La Verne to Guarantee College Admission
Eleven additional school districts have partnered with the University of La Verne to expand what was already one of Southern California’s largest initiatives to ensure that students have access to a high-quality, affordable college education.
The Partnership for Access to College Education (PACE) launched in January with the university, a dozen public school districts, and a private high school. It has now grown to encompass 23 districts that house nearly 100 high schools and serve more than 383,000 students per year. Those districts stretch from Montebello to Palm Springs, and from Kern County to the Jurupa Valley.
The program promises qualified students from the districts a pathway to the University of La Verne that includes:
- Guaranteed admission
- Guaranteed financial aid of at least $10,000 per year
- Application fee waivers
- And a range of programs to assist with college readiness and the application process
“We want every high school student in Southern California to know that an education from a distinguished private university is within their reach,” University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman said. “We look forward to working with our PACE partners to support these students and guide them on their paths to success.”
Officials from the 11 new districts came to the university on July 20 for a ceremony to celebrate the partnership.
New PACE partners are: Arcadia Unified School District, Azusa Unified School District, Baldwin Park Unified School District, Bassett Unified School District, Charter Oak Unified School District, Claremont Unified School District, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, Jurupa Unified School District, Palm Springs Unified School District, Project BEST (Black Excellence in Scholarship and Teaching)/Kern High School District, and St. John Bosco High School.
They join the following districts and organizations that joined the partnership in January:
Alhambra Unified School District, Bishop Conaty – Our Lady of Loretto High School, Bonita Unified School District, Chaffey Joint Union High School District, Covina Unified School District, Duarte Unified School District, Fontana Unified School District, Monrovia Unified School District, Montebello Unified School District, Pomona Unified School District, San Diego College Bound, Upland Unified School District, West Covina Unified School District, and Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District.
About half of the students who attend the University of La Verne are the first in their families to go to college. About 75 percent of first-time freshmen come from within 50 miles of the university.
