High school students graduating from the Allan Hancock Joint Community College District who immediately enroll to Allan Hancock College will receive a year of free tuition and fees starting with the Fall 2018 semester.
The school’s newest program, known as the Hancock Promise, will save incoming students an estimated $1,200 in tuition and fees each year, while also providing free academic planning, personalized counseling, and tutoring, according to a Hancock press release. The Hancock Promise will be offered to all students graduating from public, private, charter, or home schools in the Hancock district—which covers Northern Santa Barbara County, including New Cuyama—and to those who have earned GEDs or passed the California High School Proficiency Exam.
According to the release, 37 percent of graduating seniors from district high schools enroll at Hancock. The college said it hopes to increase that percentage through the promise program.
Eligible students will have to complete financial aid applications, register for a minimum of 12 credits each semester of the free year, maintain a 2.0 grade point average, and complete a math and English course in order to get the tuition-free year.
“We are dedicated to changing the odds for our community,” Hancock President Kevin Walthers said in a press release. “The promise ensures higher education is as accessible and affordable for our community as possible.”
The program is part of the school’s larger effort to support students of all ages. Bulldog Bound, just one of four components included in the Hancock Promise, will target district students in the fifth through eighth grades, according to the release. Bulldog Bound, if successful, will create a college-going culture through outreach events.
Another component, the Path to Promise, will focus on helping high school students prepare for college through workshops, counseling, orientation, and educational planning. Once students receive a free year at Hancock, the Extended Promise will ensure second year success with a degree, certificate, or transfer to a four-year university.
The Hancock Promise will be funded by private donations, grants, and corporate gifts. The college will also launch a five-year, $10 million endowment campaign through the Hancock College Foundation to ensure the sustainability of the promise.
“We know that full-time students have better performance and completion rates,” Walthers said in the release. “The Hancock Promise allows our students to travel down pathways to success faster with more direction and guidance.”
This article appears in Aug 24-31, 2017.
