Long Beach students heading to college will have more options getting to Cal State Long Beach next school year.

The Long Beach College Promise 2.0 – an addition to the program that guarantees Long Beach Unified School District seniors entry to Cal State Long Beach if they meet requirements or entry to Long Beach City College with free, first-semester tuition – is making it easier for students to transfer from LBCC to Cal State Long Beach.

If a high school senior meets the Cal State University requirements, but cannot go to Cal State Long Beach due to reasons such as cost or rejection from a particular program, the Promise 2.0 gives those students the chance to attend LBCC and expedite the transfer process through guaranteed admission to the university once general education classes are finished.

“Now, 2.0 is not just a win-win for LBCC and CSULB,” LBCC Superintendent Reagan Romali said. “It’s more than just alleviating the impaction problem at CSULB, it’s helping our Long Beach Unified students get into their dream college. Not only that, Promise 2.0 provides a smoother transition between the community college and the university that is really unheard of in our nation.”

Leaders of the school district, LBCC and Cal State Long Beach made the announcement on Wednesday, Sept. 26, with city leaders and Port of Long Beach representatives, the new industry partner to the program. The expansion to the College Promise comes 10 years since the initial program started, the first of its kind in the nation.

Representatives from the city, education leaders and the to announce Long Beach Promise 2.0, an addition to what local schools have been doing to get LBUSD kids in college, in Long Beach on Wednesday, September. 26, 2018. This extension of the Long Beach College Promise program will allow students who successfully complete two years at LBCC a guaranteed transfer to CSULB with discounted tuition and early class enrollment. (Photo by Brittany MurrayPress-Telegram/SCNG)

The audience applauds during an announcement at Long Beach City College for Long Beach Promise 2.0, an addition to what local schools have been doing to get LBUSD kids in college in Long Beach on Wednesday, September. 26, 2018. This extension of the Long Beach College Promise program will allow students who successfully complete two years at LBCC a guaranteed transfer to CSULB with discounted tuition and early class enrollment. (Photo by Brittany MurrayPress-Telegram/SCNG)

Dr. Reagan F. Romali, LBCC Superintendent-President speaks during an announcement at Long Beach City College for Long Beach Promise 2.0, an addition to what local schools have been doing to get LBUSD kids in college in Long Beach on Wednesday, September. 26, 2018. This extension of the Long Beach College Promise program will allow students who successfully complete two years at LBCC a guaranteed transfer to CSULB with discounted tuition and early class enrollment. (Photo by Brittany MurrayPress-Telegram/SCNG)

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CSULB president Jane Close Conoley speaks during an announcement at Long Beach City College for Long Beach Promise 2.0, an addition to what local schools have been doing to get LBUSD kids in college in Long Beach on Wednesday, September. 26, 2018. This extension of the Long Beach College Promise program will allow students who successfully complete two years at LBCC a guaranteed transfer to CSULB with discounted tuition and early class enrollment. (Photo by Brittany MurrayPress-Telegram/SCNG)

LBUSD Superintendent Chris Steinhauser speaks during an announcement at Long Beach City College for Long Beach Promise 2.0, an addition to what local schools have been doing to get LBUSD kids in college in Long Beach on Wednesday, September. 26, 2018. This extension of the Long Beach College Promise program will allow students who successfully complete two years at LBCC a guaranteed transfer to CSULB with discounted tuition and early class enrollment. (Photo by Brittany MurrayPress-Telegram/SCNG)



Harbor Commission President, Tracy J. Egoscue speaks during an announcement at Long Beach City College for Long Beach Promise 2.0, an addition to what local schools have been doing to get LBUSD kids in college in Long Beach on Wednesday, September. 26, 2018. This extension of the Long Beach College Promise program will allow students who successfully complete two years at LBCC a guaranteed transfer to CSULB with discounted tuition and early class enrollment. (Photo by Brittany MurrayPress-Telegram/SCNG)

LBUSD Superintendent Chris Steinhauser listens during an announcement at Long Beach City College for Long Beach Promise 2.0, an addition to what local schools have been doing to get LBUSD kids in college in Long Beach on Wednesday, September. 26, 2018. This extension of the Long Beach College Promise program will allow students who successfully complete two years at LBCC a guaranteed transfer to CSULB with discounted tuition and early class enrollment. (Photo by Brittany MurrayPress-Telegram/SCNG)

“There is no more impactful program in the city of Long Beach across any level of government than the Long Beach College Promise,” Mayor Robert Garcia said. “It is our single best program that we have and best partnership that we have.”

Since the College Promise began, enrollment for Long Beach seniors to Cal State Long Beach increased 71 percent, and enrollment from LBCC to the university by 55 percent, according to LBUSD. And the four-year graduation rate of LBCC minority students who transfer to Cal State Long Beach increased 11 percent to 71 percent in 2008, and to 82 percent in 2013.

Although a transfer program for the current 100-some students who would benefit from the College Promise 2.0 already exists, there will be some added benefits, said June Borba, an academic advisor at Cal State Long Beach. Students going through the program will be considered to have dual admission with ID cards for LBCC and Cal State Long Beach so they can participate in both schools’ events. They will also get priority class registration for classes.

Additionally, Promise 2.0 students who meet the major specific minimum requirements will get additional counseling and be allowed to transfer after completing 45 units. Currently, students who are not part of Promise 2.0 are eligible to apply for transfer after completing 60 units.

“The program reduces barriers to college completion for students,” LBCC Board President Sunny Zia said. “With the Promise 2.0, we are keeping these students local, which means they can study, work and live in Long Beach.”

LBUSD Superintendent Chris Steinhauser, who was a part of creating the program in 2008, said that the amount of Long Beach seniors going to a University of California school or CSU has increased from 35 to 56 percent in the last five years. About 40 percent of Long Beach seniors either go to LBCC or Cal State Long Beach, he added.

“This is huge,” Steinhauser said. “All universities need to be doing what we’re doing here with Cal State Long Beach and Long Beach City College.”

Cal State Long Beach President Jane Close Conoley added by having students complete an associate degree from LBCC transferring to the university, it could give students a bump in pay in their jobs while they are still going to school.

“Our invitation to seniors at Long Beach Unified School District will be aimed at students who probably would’ve gotten into Long Beach State anyway,” she added. “Also, those who might not have. So this is a subtle but important addition that will be inviting those students to work hard at (LBCC) and manage to make the step into our university.”