“Making college a reality” isn’t just what we believe in, it’s what we do. San Jose Cal-SOAP has been dedicated to getting students into college since 1978. Our goal is to improve the flow of information about higher education and financial aid to the families in the Greater San Jose Area. Along with that knowledge, we equip students with the right skills and preparation to succeed.

Our programs range from workshops on financial aid, to in-class tutoring, to college tours. This website is built as an additional resource to help students navigate their way through the college-going experience. We believe that with the right knowledge and skills, college is more than just a dream, it’s a reality.

Current Events

San Jose Cal-SOAP 2012 Cash For College Campaign

THE SAN JOSE CASH for COLLEGE CAMPAIGN NEEDS YOU!!

Help low-income and first generation students afford college!

San Jose Cal-SOAP and its consortium partners are now recruiting volunteers for the 2012 Cash For College campaign. Volunteers are needed to provide multilingual one-on-one assistance for high school seniors and their families to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Bilingual speakers are highly desired. Cash For College workshops will be offered from January 1st - March 2nd, with workshops offered at various locations throughout Santa Clara County.

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER!

If you are interested in serving as a volunteer, please complete the online Volunteer Registration Form and more volunteer and workshop information will be provided.

SPREAD THE WORD!

To anyone you know with an interest in supporting students in the area of financial aid for post-secondary opportunities. Last year's campaign served over 1500 high school seniors, representing over forty schools. With your awareness and involvement, we hope to reach many more this year!

*Every January and February students and families attend FREE Cash For College workshops across California for help filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Cal Grant GPA Verification Form required for cal Grants. Students attending a workshop may qualify for $1000 scholarship raffle! The Cash For College campaign is a program of the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) aimed at helping low-income first-generation college-goers complete the application process so they can access the financial aid for education and career/technical training beyond high school.

Below is a list of the upcoming Cash For College workshop opportunities for 12th grade students and their families. You may also be interested in the 2012 CSAC Webinar Schedule.

View the English Flyer here.

View the Spanish Flyer here.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 * 6-8pm * Ann Sobrato High School

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 * 2-7pm * Independence High School Rm. TBA

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 * time TBA * Silver Creek High School Rm. TBA

Wednesday, February 1, 2012 * 3-8pm * San Jose High School Rm. 40

Thursday, February 2, 2012 * 6-8pm * San Benito High School, Rm. TBA

Saturday, February 4, 2012 * 10am-2pm * Foothill Middlefield Campus Building I

Monday, February 6, 2012 * 6-8pm * Christopher High School

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 * 4-8pm * WC Overfelt High School Library

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 * 4-8pm * Gunderson High School Library

Thursday, February 9, 2012 * 3-7pm * Willow Glen HS Library

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 * 3-7pm * Andrew Hill High School 300 Eng Lab

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 * 4-8pm * WC Overfelt High School Library

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 * 2-7pm * James Lick High School Library

Thursday, March 1, 2012 * 5:30-8pm * West Valley College Fox Center Rm. 103

Students attending (including AB540 students) will also have the opportunity to complete a workshop survey to enter a $1000 scholarship. AB540 high school seniors are encouraged to attend and receive more information on additional scholarship opportunities.

Click here to locate additional Cash For College workshops outside Santa Clara County.

Click here for additional Cash For College information.

Recent News

* * * * *

Our Summer Advancement Academies are in full swing at WC Overfelt, James Lick and Yerba Buena High Schools! Students will be enriching their summers through late July with fieldtrips to college campuses and academic preparation for the coming school year.

We are so proud of all the students participating and so grateful to our summer interns for making these programs possible. Great work, Team!

The Silicon Valley College Success Scholarship program has been completed and this year's awardees notified. Congratulations to all those who were awarded. The Scholarship orientation was held June 20, 2011 to educate recipients about how to keep their award in college.

It is a busy time at the Cal-SOAP office, but the bright young people we see everyday make these hot summer days breeze right by!

* * * * *

The application deadline for the Silicon Valley College Success Scholarship was April 15, 2011 at 5pm. Applications received after this day with a postmark of April 15, 2011 are being fully considered. Applicants will be contacted with their award status at the end of May.

The Silicon Valley College Success Scholarship orientation will be held for scholarship recipients and their families at Evergreen Valley College on June 10, 2011 from 1:30-5pm.

Look for upcoming announcements about what receipients will need to bring with them on the day of the orientation.

* * * * *

The 2011 Cash For College Campaign is complete, having served over 1300 Silicon Valley students. Thank you to all partners and volunteers for the success of this campaign!

* * * * *

HISPANIC COLLEGE FUND PROVIDES COLLEGE READINESS PARENT WORKSHOPS, SENDS STUDENTS TO LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Ongoing programming guides East Side Union high school students to graduate, achieve a college education, and give back to their communities

SAN JOSE (Nov. 15, 2010) – Two initiatives this week will further the Hispanic College Fund’s ongoing efforts to change the college-going and community-involvement trajectories of underserved high school students from the East Side Union High School District.

On Thursday, Nov.18 at William C. Overfelt High School in San Jose, the Hispanic College Fund and Cal-SOAP will present Spanish-language workshops about meeting A-G requirements to the parents of alumni from the 2010 Silicon Valley Hispanic Youth Institute. Immediately following the A-G workshop, Cal-SOAP and Hispanic College Fund staff will meet with each parent individually to review their children’s grades and four-year individualized academic plans. The academic plans were developed by the students this summer as part of Hispanic College Fund programming to establish personalized academic milestones and goals that will help ensure the students graduate from high school and matriculate to college. Approximately 30 parents are expected to attend the workshop, which is intended to help parents support their children’s academic success.

On Friday, Nov. 19, the Hispanic College Fund will send 50 of its Hispanic Youth Institute (HYI) alumni to the De Anza College Institute of Civic and Community Engagement to participate in its Youth Voices for Change conference. This annual student leadership event empowers, engages, and educates students to make positive changes for themselves and their communities while connecting them to existing community organizations. HYI alumni from Andrew Hill and William C. Overfelt high schools will enjoy free transportation and complimentary registration for the event.

“These events are core to the mission of Hispanic College Fund programming,” said Claudia Avila-Martin, director of the Silicon Valley Hispanic Youth Institute for the Hispanic College Fund. “With the A-G workshops at Overfelt, we will help our students’ parents better understand the basic academic requirements needed to be eligible for California State University or University of California matriculation. Many community members don’t realize that the high school graduation requirements differ from the CSU and UC application requirements, and they don’t know whom to ask for assistance or even what questions should be asked.”

“The Youth Voices for Change event also supports our efforts,” continued Avila-Martin. “We know from research that students who are engaged with their community are more likely to succeed academically. Our students also feel very lucky to be part of the Hispanic Youth Institute, and they’re anxious to give back. This conference will give them additional resources and networks to help make that possible.”

The Hispanic Youth Institute is a national program that begins the Hispanic College Fund’s pipeline of programs helping students graduate from college, become professionals, and give back to the community.

Beginning in the summer, 100-200 high school students experience a university campus for a four-day, three-night college empowerment program where students will learn to overcome both real and perceived barriers to college access. Upon completion of the on-campus kick-off program, students are enrolled into year-round programming that reinforces the key themes of college, career and community, encouraging them to promote a college-going culture to their peers throughout the remainder of their high school years.

Sponsors of the 2010 Silicon Valley Hispanic Youth Institute included Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, The Hewlett Packard Foundation, Intel, Lockheed Martin, Castellano Family Foundation, University of Phoenix Foundation, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Union Bank, Google, the Office of San José Mayor Chuck Reed, San José Police Officers Association, USDA, and Virginia Tech.

National partners of the 2010 Hispanic Youth Institute included Darden Foundation, Microsoft, National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Social Security Administration.

###

About the Hispanic College Fund

Founded in 1993, the Hispanic College Fund (HCF) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., with a mission to develop the next generation of Hispanic professionals. For 17 years, the Hispanic College Fund has provided educational, scholarship, and mentoring programs to students throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, establishing a career pipeline of talented and career-driven Hispanics. The Hispanic College Fund annually awards millions of dollars, impacting thousands of students through high school to college to career. HCF has been recognized by USA Today as one of the nation’s top 25 charities and has twice received Charity Navigator’s top four-star rating for fiscal responsibility. In 2010, the College Board recognized HCF for program innovation.

Hispanic Fund Website
Hispanic Youth Symposium Website