The San Diego Foundation pledged a gift of $200,000 to the San Diego Community College District’s tuition-free San Diego Promise, a program which allows students who may not otherwise be able to afford college to pursue a degree, it was announced Thursday.
The donation includes a $100,000 outright gift and a $100,000 matching gift which will be made once the SDCCD receives a similar amount from other donors. The gift is part of a $1 million San Diego Promise campaign aimed at opening the doors of higher education to all.
The gift is being made in honor of SDCCD Chancellor Constance M. Carroll, a nationwide leader in the promise movement and the driving force behind the San Diego Promise. Carroll retires June 30, after serving 17 years as the chief executive officer at one of the largest community college districts in California. She is also past chair of The San Diego Foundation.
“The San Diego Promise is removing barriers that too many students without adequate financial means face every day,” Carroll said. “I am honored by this generous gift which will directly benefit local students and spur additional philanthropic support from others in the community.”
The district’s fundraising campaign culminates with a Sept. 18 gala in celebration of Carroll’s career.
Carroll remains an advocate for the San Diego Promise, which was first introduced as a pilot program in 2016 with 186 students and which Thursday provides for two years of tuition and fees at San Diego City, Mesa and Miramar colleges.
“Through both her career and volunteerism, Dr. Constance Carroll embodies the values of integrity, community and collaboration in everything she does,” said Mark Stuart, president and CEO of The San Diego Foundation. “As chancellor, she has built a community college model that other institutions now follow. This donation honors Dr. Carroll’s legacy and will help countless San Diegans pursue their academic dreams.”
Former foster youth, veterans, adult returning students and certain part-time students are also eligible to participate, thanks to more than $1.6 million in donations.
More than 6,600 students have been served by the San Diego Promise, including approximately 3,600 in the current academic year. According to the district, around 70% of SDCCD students are supporting themselves by working while attending college and the vast majority are receiving financial aid to help them pay for tuition and registration fees. About half of San Diego Promise students come from families with a household income of less than $40,000 annually, and 15% come from families making less than $10,000 each year.
Last spring, thanks to counsel from Carrol and the Leadership Council for the COVID-19 Community Response Fund, The San Diego Foundation awarded a $500,000 grant to the region’s five community college districts, enough to provide 1,400 students who had been without a computer during the transition to online education with a free laptop. The San Diego Community College District received $200,000.
–City News Service
