College Success Program

Institution:

Latino Education Advancement Foundation (LEAF)

State:

California

Academic Level:

Community-Based Organization

Issue Area:

Support Services

Program Focus:

First Year Support, Parental/Family Engagement

Website:

https://www.leafca.org/what-we-do/college-success-program

Key Personnel:

Erika Miguel

Contact Info:

erika@leafca.org

Overview

The Latino Education Advancement Foundation (LEAF) aims to improve outcomes for Latinx students and families in East San José by providing culturally relevant college and career readiness support, advancing economic mobility, and advocating for educational equity in the community. The College Success Program (CSP) goals include increasing postsecondary enrollment, transfer rates, and college persistence rates to 85% among the program scholars, all of whom are first-generation Latinx students. CSP offers wraparound services starting in the senior year of high school through the second year of postsecondary education, and provides career exploration programming to prepare scholars for the workforce. CSP supports students enrolling in a community college, trade school, or four-year institution.

Program Description

With a multigenerational approach, CSP mentors and empowers students and families to build a college-going culture, navigate the enrollment process, persist in college, and graduate with a clear career path. The program model holistically supports Latinx students and families through the first two years of college through:

College Support Services: Workshops and 1:1 advising focused on financial aid, academics, transfer planning, career readiness, and social-emotional support.
Fiscal Support: Scholars receive $2,000 scholarship and access to emergency funding to alleviate educational expenses.
Peer-Mentorship: LEAF Mentors aid scholars navigating higher education and foster social belonging.
Family Engagement: Families receive evidence-based, culturally-relevant programming and $500 stipends for being involved through workshops, supporting their scholar’s academic and career goals.

Outcome

CSP increases college enrollment and persistence rates for East San José students to 85% retention by providing support services beginning in high school through at least the first two years of postsecondary education. As of 2025, 100% of LEAF Scholars are Latinx and 98% are first-generation, up from 94% in 2021.

Two-Year Persistence: In the 2023-2024 academic year, enrollment of LEAF scholars in community colleges and trade schools increased from 78% to 80%, compared to California’s 55% two-year persistence rate for Hispanic students.
Four-Year Persistence: The four-year persistence rate for LEAF Scholars is 89%, compared to the state average of 68%.
GPA: As of 2024, 65% of Scholars had a GPA of 2.0 or higher, which is often a requirement for students to continue receiving financial aid at colleges.

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