Greetings! Working to ensure all Californians have an equal opportunity to attend and succeed in college in order to build a vibrant workforce, economy and democracy - that’s been the singular mission the Campaign for College Opportunity has focused on since our founding fifteen years ago.

California students, like Karen Dominguez and Tylar Campbell, who grace the covers of our recent State of Higher Education reports, are the reason that an unlikely coalition of business, education, and civil rights leaders came together to form the Campaign for College Opportunity in 2004.

Our founders  believed that California was turning its back on the promise of college opportunity to current and future generations of students and the impact would bring serious economic and civil rights consequences. They knew that a broad-based coalition armed with good data and a student-centered public policy agenda could ensure that California delivers on its promise of a spot in college for all eligible students while improving college completion rates and eliminating racial/ethnic inequality in higher education. My good friend Nolan Rollins has said, the Campaign for College Opportunity is not a “think tank”, it’s a "do tank. ” It is not enough to just talk (or tweet) about student success or to just hope for it. We must act.

So whether you were introduced to the Campaign in our early days as we awarded over $670,000 to middle and high schoolers through the Save Me a Spot in College scholarship contest, used one of our ground-breaking equity-focused research publications to inform your own work, or joined us in ushering in transformative statewide policy improving access and completion for California students, I am proud of what we have accomplished together over the past fifteen years to improve college access, affordability, and student success in California.

Visit our Anniversary Celebration web page to reflect on our shared accomplishments. We look forward to having you join us at one of the various 15 th Anniversary events and celebrations scheduled for this year.   When I started at the Campaign for College Opportunity fifteen years ago, I was hopeful that we would contribute to a stronger higher education system in our state – our accomplishments prove we have. As we move forward, there is still much to do. Thankfully, we stand on the shoulders of our founders, supported by courageous students, college leaders, and policymakers, and surrounded by thousands of advocates in a student-first agenda.

Michele Siqueiros, President

15 th Anniversary Calendar of Events

June The State of Higher Education for American Indian and Alaskan Native Californians August Hope on the Horizon: A 15 th Anniversary Celebration Fall Unlikely film screening

November The State of Higher Education for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Californians Champions of Higher Education: Celebrating 15 Years of Making College Dreams a Reality

We invite you to join in the celebration and sponsor our events. Your contribution will celebrate our success and serve as a testament to the importance of higher education in California and the need for the Campaign to continue to lead this work.

Sponsor an Event

“ The Campaign is a best-in-class state-based policy and advocacy organization , and we value the fact that its approach is unwaveringly student-centric and equity-focused.  California is the linchpin of efforts to boost the nation’s overall college attainment rate, and the Campaign plays a critical role in developing the policy and partnerships that are driving improvement.”

- Caroline Altman Smith , Deputy Director of the Kresge Foundation’s Education Program Join Caroline and other funders, partners, and friends in leaving a message in our 15 th Anniversary Guestbook. Share with us why you appreciate our efforts and/or how you've contributed to our successes in making college dreams a reality. Sign our Guestbook

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