Several historically black colleges and universities will be announced today as part of a growing alliance of corporate, non-profit and educational partners in the Oakland Promise Initiative, a program that will bring together resources and preparatory programming for low-income minority youth in Oakland, CA.
The initiative, which will launch this afternoon at Oakland High School, has raised more than $25 million dollars in start-up funds to support scholarships, college savings accounts and secondary education tutoring programs to improve the city’s 10 percent graduation rate for entering ninth-graders.
Participating HBCUs will offer a range of benefits to qualifying students, including guaranteed admission, tuition, books, and other expenses. Paul Quinn College will offer full-tuition and room and board for students completing all requirements.
“We know this community, and our part of its fabric,” said Paul Quinn President Michael Sorrell. “We believe that what we do is perfect for the young people in Oakland. They need people who understand urban issues and students, and we believe we can offer something whereby they can be taught to be entrepreneurial, and to work against fleeing Oakland, but returning reinvesting in the communities where the grew up.”
Other institutions include Allen University, Cheney University, Harris-Stowe State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, Texas College and Virginia University of Lynchburg.
