Berkeley Community Scholars

We were founded in 1991 as the Berkeley Community Fund, supporting a variety of projects that strengthened our community while championing the common good. In 2008 we determined we could make a greater impact by bringing higher education within reach of Berkeley High graduates from low-income families.

It takes more than courage to be the first in your family to attend college. It takes resources and support these students and their families often don’t have.

We bridge the gap. We’re Berkeley Community Scholars.

We offer two programs: the High Hopes Program for students bound for 4-year colleges and the Promise Program for scholars attending Berkeley City College with the intention of transferring to a 4-year university. We also pair each student with a mentor who is personally invested and available to offer guidance from acceptance to graduation – and beyond. When students begin to doubt themselves, and they will, they will never doubt our belief in them. We also offer a host of college support services that provide them with the confidence and tools they need to succeed.

Berkeley Community Scholars is a pragmatic approach to making dreams come true – 90% of our scholars have graduated or are in college and on pace to graduate—triple the national average for the same cohort.