SUPPORT EDUCATE GROW LEARN
Helping our communities by raising college-going awareness and successful postsecondary pathways
The Riverside County Cal-SOAP program was created to increase the availability of information, improve students’ access to higher education by raising their achievement levels, and aligns with the pledge of supporting students academically and socially in preparing our Riverside County students for college, the workforce, and civic responsibility. This program is intended to serve students from schools and geographic areas with low college-going rates, students who would be the first in their family to attend college, and students from low income families which aligns with our mission ensuring the success of all students.
Today, 16 Cal-SOAP projects operate throughout California by consortia made up of secondary and postsecondary schools and community agencies. Cal-SOAP works in cooperation with other intersegmental outreach programs to avoid service duplication. Current Cal-SOAP projects include: Central Coast (Santa Maria), Central Valley (San Joaquin), East Bay/Solano (Oakland, Richmond and Solano County), Inland Empire (through CSU San Bernardino), Long Beach, Los Angeles, Merced, Northcoast (Eureka), Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego/Imperial, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Barbara, South County Gilroy, and South San Joaquin.
Because each project specializes in serving students within its community, the types of programs and services may differ. However, the projects share the common goal of improving the flow of information about postsecondary education and financial aid while raising achievement levels of targeted students. Some common services provided by the consortia include advising, tutoring, parent outreach, and college awareness workshops.
The Cal-SOAP program is administered by the California Student Aid Commission, with individual projects applying each year for continued state funding. By law, each state allocation must be matched by an equal or higher level of local resources.
The long-term measures of success for the Riverside County Cal-SOAP program is the number and rates of participating students who complete high school, complete the a-g course requirements, apply for college, complete and submit the FAFSA or CADAA, enroll and begin postsecondary education or training, and persist through the first year of their postsecondary education.
Plans for serving disadvantaged youth including students who are:
The California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP) was established by the state legislature in 1978.
Today, Cal-SOAP projects operate in sixteen locations throughout the state by consortia of secondary and postsecondary schools and community agencies.
Understanding, filling out, and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CA Dream Act Application (CADAA). Creating an FSA ID, utilizing the IRS Direct Data Exchange, creating a Webgrants 4 Students, understanding the different types of financial aid, assistance with verification, and understanding award letters.
Understanding, filling out, and submitting college applications for the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), Common App, private schools, out-of-state schools, and community colleges. Understanding various programs like EOP/EOPS, FYE, CA Promise, and more.
Utilizing the activities through californiacolleges.edu to support college understanding and future career paths and launching all financial aid and college applications for data utilization. Examples of the milestones include but are not limited to the college search, career interest profiler, academic planner, financial aid activities, and application launches.
Understanding A-G requirements and validation for the UC and CSU campuses.
Understanding the benefits of the SAT or ACT test. Many colleges and universities are moving to a test-blind module that does not require test scores but test scores can still be used for placement and scholarships.
Understanding the benefits of AP and IB programs for college credits, weighted GPA, and how to get free supplemental help through the RCOE-UCR AP Readiness Program.
Understanding and staying on top of next steps to college such as submitting a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR), completing orientation, meeting with an academic advisor for a course plan, submitting deposits, accepting financial aid, submitting final transcripts, etc. Preventing the phenomenon of summer melt by making sure students are ready for college and have no barriers preventing them from attending in the Fall.
Registering for the program at their local community college and the benefits of having college coursework completed while completing high school.
Assistance with searching and applying for local, regional, state, and national scholarships.
Whether it be military, trade school, college, or career, guiding our students on understanding the steps to get to their future career goal and getting them connected to the right resources.
We know you have to balance college courses with a part time job. We also know that giving back to your community and helping others is a rewarding experience and great job experience for those wanting a career in education. We will work with your class schedule to fit your needs with the program needs so we can help our students dream bigger and reach higher.
The management team is based out of the Riverside County Office of Education but our Coaches are onsite at 38 high schools, launching in middle schools, and we even offer virtual appointments with Coaches to help students and families with evening appointments.
Our staff undergoes extensive training to provide you with the most up-to-date knowledge and answers to your questions.
Monday - Friday
8 am - 8 pm
Riverside County Office of Education
4280 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501
Phone: (951)826-6315
Email: rivcocalsoap@rcoe.us
(Coaches are at high school locations)
