Foundation for a College Education

Mission Statement: Foundation for a College Education’s mission is to increase the number of first-generation, low-income students of color from East Palo Alto and similar communities who graduate from a four-year college or university.

The vision of FCE is to create a community where higher education is attainable. By engaging both students and parents in our work, we aim to create a community of learners who are armed with the right tools and information. Together, they play a pivotal role in sharing this information with other families about how best to take advantage of school resources and navigate the college admissions process, thus catalyzing change in the larger community. 

Core Values: At FCE, four core values define the ways we empower our students to reach their full potential:

1. High Expectations: We encourage our students to move beyond standard grade-level performance and pursue college preparatory and advanced levels to ensure they are prepared to attend our nation’s competitive colleges. 

2. Family and Community Engagement: We believe that meaningful family and community engagement is key to student success.

3. Measurable Results: We measure our success by the number of students who graduate from college. Intermediate measures include the number of college prep classes taken, GPA, and percentage of college admissions. 

4. College Graduation: At FCE, college acceptance is only a first step; a college degree is critical to our students’ economic and social mobility.

College Bound: A program to provide high school students with the necessary resources and support to be academically and emotionally prepared for college admission and matriculation.   

Our College Bound Program offers:

• One-on-one and group tutoring  

• Study skills enhancement 

• SAT preparation 

• College application instruction and support 

• College tours 

• Travel stipends for scholarship interviews 

• College advisory 

• Financial aid and scholarship guidance 

• Mental health awareness 

• Funds to cover fees for up to 5 college applications per student 

• Monthly Family Class Meetings 

College Success: A program to help college students persist and graduate within six years or less.  

1. College transition support 

2. Academic and personal advocacy counseling 

3. Financial aid and scholarship guidance 

4. Financial literacy workshops 

5. Career exploration and readiness workshops 

6. Summer internship support 

7. Community college transfer advising 

8. Professional mentorship program for certain students 

9. Mental health awareness 

10. Summer career and professional development conference 

Scholarships: A program to provide persistence and discretionary grants that play a significant role in college retention and financial aid.    

Parent/Guardian Program: A program to help parents and guardians acquire the skills and confidence to become effective educational advocates for their children.