College In My Future
East Side Union High School District
The College in My Future (CMF) program is designed to expand college access for historically underserved students in the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) and its seven elementary feeder districts ( know as the East Side Alliance).
The initiative involves four main components:
Spartan East Side Promise (SESP) – A guaranteed admission pathway to San Jose State University for ESUHSD graduates meeting minimum A–G CSU entrance requirements. It also includes a Spartan Summer Orientation program.
Spartan Scholarships – Annual scholarship opportunities.
College Savings Initiative – College savings accounts for students.
Spartan Ambassadors- ESUHSD students attending San Jose State University who speak to middle and high school students about the CMF opportunities.
The CMF is a collective impact initiative involving the East Side Education Foundation (ESEF), San Jose State university (SJSU) and the ESUHSD.
Program Summary
Only 39.3% of adults in the ESA geographical area hold a bachelor’s degree, compared to 57% across Santa Clara County. The ESUHSD serves a high-needs student population: 52% Hispanic, 21% English learners, and 42% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. 45% of ESUHSD graduates meet UC/CSU A–G course requirements.
A bachelor’s degree leads to significantly higher lifetime earnings, better health outcomes, and greater civic participation. CMF directly tackles the systemic inequities faced by first-generation, low-income, and English learner students.
The goal is to increase the number of first-generation students who enroll in and graduate from SJSU. Objectives include:
Increasing SJSU enrollment among East Side students
Expanding Spartan Summer orientation participation
Providing $30,000+ in scholarships annually
Increase college savings accounts throughout the East Side Alliance
CMF is consistent with the ESUHSD goals to increase graduation and college readiness for all students (LCAP goals). It addresses the state priorities dealing with equity (i.e, targeting first generation students ), parental engagement (i.e, informing families of the opportunities) , and student outcomes (i.e, increasing the AG completion rate).
The CMF initiative is essential for closing the opportunity gaps in East San Jose.The College (CMF) program offers something of great importance to the students and families starting in kindergarten: hope that college is attainable.
Program Goals
Enrollment Increase
The results speak for themselves. In 2016, 1,608 ESUHSD students applied to SJSU, with 436 enrolling. The most recent data show that applications have increased to 1,903 and enrollments to 658—a 50% increase in enrollment. Currently, nearly 700 ESUHSD graduates enroll at SJSU annually, underscoring the long-term, systemic impact of the program.
A vital part of the SESP experience is the 4-day Spartan Summer Program, designed to ease the transition to college life. Over 1,700 East Side students have participated since inception. Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive: nearly 90% of participants report that the program helped them prepare for and adjust to college—academically, socially, and emotionally
Improved Retention & Persistence
The SESP's intentional design and early outreach strategies are reflected in higher persistence rates:
83% of SESP students return for their sophomore year, compared to 79% of the general SJSU population.
93% of summer program participants enroll in the fall—7 percentage points higher than average.
The 2021–22 SESP cohort saw a 95% persistence rate by summer, demonstrating remarkable long-term engagement.
To reduce financial barriers, to support the CMF/SESP, the East Side Education Foundation has awarded approximately $167,000 in scholarships, with an additional $30,000 planned for the 2025-2026 school year, minimizing dropout risk due to economic hardship.
Impact on Students
Since its inception in 2016, the CMF/SESP has demonstrated a strong foundation and a steady trajectory of growth. The CMF program began with the launch of the Spartan East Side Promise and Spartan Summer Program, creating a structured bridge between high school and college for East Side Union High School District students enrolling .
The East Side Education Foundation has as its mission to "To promote and create bold and innovative programs, services, and partnerships that measurably elevate sustainable student success." ESEF has served as at the backbone organization supporting the CMF/SESP initiative raising over $200,000 in scholarship funds, funding the Summer Program in partnership with SJSU, forging a partnership with Excite Credit Union to provide a college savings program and creating the Spartan Ambassadors.
After the initial launch nine years ago, SJSU has recently adopted the SESP as an integral part of its program institutionalizing the SESP throughout the East Side. This guarantees that it will be sustainable in the future. ESEF will continue to support the students through scholarships, the Spartan Ambassadors , the summer program , and informing students and families of the opportunities
Sustainability
The CMF initiative is a one of a kind strategic, data-driven initiative that supports students before, during, and beyond their first year. Its comprehensive approach—combining early outreach, financial aid, a summer bridge program, and dedicated university partnerships—has led to sustained gains in enrollment, retention, and degree persistence.
It is not just improving access to higher education for East San José students—it’s changing the odds.
CMF stands out as a groundbreaking and comprehensive college success initiative. The program guarantees university admission for eligible students, ensuring that higher education is not a distant dream but a real, attainable goal. This pathway is reinforced by direct scholarship funding that lowers financial barriers, while dedicated college savings accounts help families begin planning early. To ease the transition into higher education, students participate in a robust summer orientation designed to familiarize them with campus life, academic expectations, and available resources. Spartan Ambassadors—near-peer college students from similar backgrounds—provide encouragement and guidance to help students throughout the ESA offering hope to students that college is attainable, making over 150 appearances throughout the eight districts of the ESA
No other program in California combines guaranteed admission, financial support, savings, orientation, and mentorship in a seamless K–16 pipeline.
Innovation
The CMF/SESP initiative offers a model for to close college access and completion gaps through sustained partnership, early intervention, and long-term student support. Grounded in a collective impact framework, the initiative brings together a high school district (ESUHD), lead district of the broader East Side Alliance), a public university (San José State University), a corporate partner (Excite Credit Union) and a nonprofit intermediary (East Side Education Foundation), all in support of student success.
Key components of the model— guaranteed admission to a local CSU , a coordinated summer transition program, scholarships, a college savings account integration with statewide efforts like CalKIDS, and student mentorships can be adapted to fit the unique assets of other regions. The CMF initiative ensures that college-going is embedded throughout a student’s educational journey across the East Side Alliance of K–8 feeder districts.
What makes this initiative scalable is its structure: shared ownership among partners, clear roles and responsibilities, data-sharing agreements, and community-based leadership. Coordinated by the ESEF, its success is reliant on a culture of collaboration and accountability. Districts and higher education institutions elsewhere can replicate the CMF/SESP by establishing similar partnerships while leveraging local and state-level college savings initiatives. The CMF/SESP is a blueprint for equitable college access.
Replicability
Supporting Data & Info
Video of Program
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