Our Mission

The Mission of the Santa Barbara California Student Opportunity and Access Program (CALSOAP) is to assist students by increasing the accessibility of higher education opportunities in collaboration with our community partners.

Our Vision

SB CALSOAP envisions the pursuit of equitable accessibility to higher education.

Our History

CALSOAP was established by the State in 1978 to improve the flow of information about post-secondary education and financial aid while raising the college going rates of students who were historically underrepresented in post-secondary education.  Working under the direction of the California Student Aid Commission, CALSOAP has successfully provided California students with vital information and services necessary to prepare for and gain admission to universities and colleges. Today, there are 16 CALSOAP projects that operate throughout California and  bring together school districts, public and private colleges and universities, community-based organizations and private sector partners to form a consortium.

Santa Barbara CALSOAP was created in 1984 to encourage a greater attendance of those who have been historically underrepresented in our communities’ post-secondary education population into California’s post-secondary institutions. Underrepresented groups can be defined as students who are low-income, first-generation to college and more recently, ANY student within a district or geographic region identified as having a low-eligibility or college participation rate. Santa Barbara CALSOAP currently serves the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria and works with 7th through 12th grade students with a specific focus on students who may lack the resources and information to adequately prepare them for post-secondary education. In addition to assisting students with academic support, CALSOAP strives to provide the information necessary for families to make empowered decisions regarding their child’s post-secondary endeavors.

CALSOAP works to support Parents/Guardians in becoming better equipped and capable advocates for their child by increasing their knowledge about college preparation and highlight the importance of becoming more involved in planning and preparation for the student’s post-secondary ambitions. Services to foster this empowerment include one-on-one advisement sessions, informative workshops and college preparation presentations. These services are an important part of helping to navigate the sometimes daunting and intimidating process of pursuing higher education. We make a great effort in answering questions and guiding our participants to the necessary resources to make transitioning from high school to post-secondary education as smooth and successful as possible. All advisement, classes, presentations and links to on-campus resources are free of cost and accessible to Junior High and High School community members.

CALSOAP has been a part of CommUnify (formerly CAC) since 2011 and continuously funded and administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).

NAVIGATION