The California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP)
was established by the state legislature in 1978. Today, Cal-SOAP
is instrumental in improving the flow of information about
postsecondary education and financial aid while raising the
achievement levels of low-income, elementary and secondary school
students or geographic regions with documented low-eligibility or
college participation rates, and who are first in their families
to attend college.
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.
Cal-SOAP has extensive intersegmental participation, including:
- One hundred twenty-six public school districts, from the
largest urban districts to small rural districts plus individual
high schools;
- Nine of the ten general campuses of the University of
California system;
- Seventeen of the twenty-three campuses of the California
State University system;
- Forty of the state’s one hundred and thirteen community
colleges- including all those in each area in which a project is
located;
- Sixteen of the seventy-one Association of Independent
California Colleges and Universities members; and;
- Fifty-three other community-based organizations.
If you have any questions, please email calsoap@csac.ca.gov.
Our mailing address:
California Student Aid Commission
Attn: Specialized Programs/ Cal-SOAP
P.O. Box 419026
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-9026