New Creative Partnership With Alameda Promise And Mills College Opens Doors Of Opportunity For High School Students

Mills College is proud to join forces with the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) to remove barriers to a top-ranked college education for young women.

As part of the new Mills-Alameda Promise partnership, we're making a transformative college education accessible and affordable. AUSD graduates are not only eligible for a free year of tuition at College of Alameda (COA), but this opportunity has now expanded to include scholarship opportunities for first-year students at Mills College.

Eligible students may transfer from College of Alameda to Mills College through a Joint Admission Guarantee. Those students can begin earning credits towards a Mills College bachelor's degree while they are working on their community college associate degrees.

AUSD students will find a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community at Mills with one-on-one attention from exceptional faculty and small, interactive classes that help students succeed.

"We're excited to increase access to college for students, especially students from the East Bay, who are bringing their talents, energy, and ideas to our campus," says Elizabeth L. Hillman, president of Mills College. "These are the kinds of partnerships that enrich campuses and communities alike."

As part of our commitment to AUSD, Mills will provide a minimum financial aid scholarship of $7,000 to every Alameda high school student (public and charter) admitted to Mills in fall 2019 with a minimum high school GPA of 3.2.

Mills has created special initiatives to support young women and gender non-binary students as they transition to college from AUSD including:

• the Mills Promise Leadership Academy that helps students get ready for college;
• an academic success team that assists students in navigating college and pursuing their dreams;
• individual ePortfolio websites to showcase each student's learning;
• a personal research or creative project mentored by outstanding faculty; and
• career services including career coaching, Mills alumnae mentoring, and visits to local companies and organizations.

"I am thrilled to see the launch of the Joint Admission Guarantee program," says College of Alameda President Tim Karas, Ed.D. "This provides a pathway for students to begin their college career at a community college and then transition to a private, four-year college while strengthening ties across our region. It is an amazing opportunity for Alameda students."

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