Stockton Scholars- Stockton, CA

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Stockton Scholars

Rationale

Higher education has for centuries served as both a gateway to the middle class and a vehicle for socioeconomic mobility. College graduates, on average, earn 56% more than high school graduates and face lower risks of unemployment.   

As our workforce becomes increasingly technologized, higher education assumes greater importance. Georgetown’s Center of Education and Workforce predicts that by 2020, 65% percent of all jobs in the United States will require post-secondary education and training beyond high school.  

Just as a college degree has never been more valuable, it has also never been more expensive. College costs in the United States have risen twelvefold over the past 30 years, far outpacing the price inflation of consumer goods, medical expenses and food. These costs have created a national debt crisis, with Americans owing more than $1.45 trillion in student debt and growing numbers of defaults on federal loans. 

Goal

To triple the number of Stockton students who enter and complete college or university over the next decade. 

Project Summary

In this context, on January 16th, 2018 we launched the Stockton Scholars, a research-informed, collective impact strategy anchored by, but not limited to, a city-wide college scholarship. 

 Stockton Scholars makes a simple commitment: if you want to pursue higher education, tuition and fees will not be a barrier. The initial donation provides a scholarship to every Stockton Unified School District graduate for the classes of 2019-2026. 

 Stockton Scholars recognizes that money is not the sole impediment to degree attainment; as such, the scholarship will be supplemented with the following wraparound services and programmatic initiatives: 

• Approximately 90% of high school seniors who complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms attend college after high school, compared to just 55% of those who do not. To ensure all available federal dollars are accessed, Stockton Scholars will aim for 100% FAFSA completion by 2023.
• Code HS and the Office of the Mayor are launching Code Stockton, an initiative providing all high schools with an “Introduction to Computer Science” course.
• Early Childhood Education Scholarship- The Reinvent Stockton Foundation will provide First Five of San Joaquin County with a $10,000 grant to expand the Early Childhood Education Scholarship, which encourages recent high school graduates to pursue a career in early childhood care and education.
• The Reinvent Stockton Foundation will provide the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 595 with a $10,000 grant to establish a toolbox fund, providing students pursuing an apprenticeship with money to purchase tools and supplies.

Timeline of Project: Launched in 2018
Cost: $20 million donation from the California Community Foundation
Initiator: Stockton Scholars 
Additional Resources: 
www.stocktonscholars.org
Stockton, CA – 2018 AAC Winner: Presentation