“It made an impossible dream seem possible.” Issac Vermillion SCholars Class of 2011

Imagine what it’s like to take your child to day care in between your college courses; to study after working a full day and caring for your family, all the while dreaming of doing something more. Many community college students juggle such responsibilities while pursuing a college education. Their goals — secure a better job, improve their quality of life and make a difference. Transferring to a university, especially a prestigious research university, seems unattainable, the expenses too great, the requirements too rigid, the student demographics too exclusive. And, for low- to moderate-income, first-generation college students in particular, it is nothing short of an impossible dream.

Enter the USC SCholars Program, an outreach collaboration that encourages high-achieving community college students to transfer to selective research universities, supporting and helping them with the process. The program further supports students who enroll at USC with additional services and resources.

How does the program work? Students from East Los Angeles Community College (ELAC), Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC) and Los Angeles City College (LACC) can join the SCholars Club on their campus. The club offers support services to help these students learn about the transfer process to USC as well as other universities. USC SCholars staff conducts workshops on topics ranging from how to apply to a university to how to secure funding and host visits to the USC campus.

The SCholars Program staff holds office hours during the fall and spring at the schools and meets with students one-on-one to answer questions.

Students who enroll at USC (although admission is not guaranteed) receive additional assistance designed to meet their academic, emotional and social needs. Because transfer students often have problems adjusting to the demands of attending a four-year college or university, the program prepares its SCholars for the challenges ahead. SCholar support includes a week-long university immersion experience, success seminars, coaching services, general advising, faculty/scholar luncheons, to name a few.