College Access Mentorship for First-Generation Students

Income inequality

East LA South LA Gateway Cities

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

First-generation students in Los Angeles face steep challenges when it comes to accessing college. Many attend high schools where the average student-to-counselor ratio is 464:1, and they often lack college-educated family members to help navigate the process. These barriers are especially pronounced in the Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) communities we serve—including Lynwood, Cudahy, Huntington Park, and South Gate—where only 4–7% of adults over age 25 hold a four-year degree. As a result, cycles of income inequality persists.
As college admissions grow more competitive, the opportunity gap in Los Angeles widens. While our students navigate underfunded schools, limited counseling, and more, wealthier peers gain access to high-cost advantages like private counselors, SAT prep, and tutoring, costing up to $6,000. This stark disparity isn’t just about admissions: it’s about equity, and the urgent need to level the playing field so all LA students have a fair chance to succeed.

Destined for College addresses the widening college access gap by equipping first-generation and low-income students with resources that mimic the same high-quality mentorship, guidance, and test prep that their affluent peers can access through well-resourced schools, family members, and private college counselors. Starting in their junior year of high school, students are matched 1:1 with one of our 300+ trained volunteer College Coaches who provide individualized support through every step of the college application process. Students also access application workshops, SAT prep, and visits with college admissions officers. ScholarMatch’s volunteer-based mentorship services will be even more vital in the years ahead as schools and college access nonprofits see federal funding cuts for Americorps, Federal TRIO, and GEAR UP programs, further diminishing the college access services that first-generation students can access.
ScholarMatch’s work has a profound impact: 100% of students who complete the program submit college applications and students receive an average of 3 acceptances each. Our program is open to students with a 2.0+ GPA – reaching students that are often excluded from other programs. In a system that too often leaves first-generation students behind, Destined for College ensures that LA youth have the tools and confidence to get to college. Support from LA2050 will help us to serve 150 LA students in the high school Class of 2027 with these needed services.

ScholarMatch has the proven track record to ensure more first-generation and low-income students in LA will receive the 1:1 mentorship needed to apply to and be accepted into college– a vital step toward accessing and securing well-paying jobs. Long-term, this will increase upward mobility for students from low-income communities and help break cycles of systemic inequality. With this grant, we will impact communities like Huntington Park, Cudahy, and South Gate, and continue scaling our services across Los Angeles with a goal to serve 150 high school students in the Class of 2027 and grow to 250 in the Class of 2028. This includes expanding our Destined for College Program while building a pipeline into our college persistence and career programming, which already has seed funding for LA expansion through the Ballmer Group to serve 175 LA students with possibilities for future growth. These programs ensure that more LA students get into college, graduate, and launch careers.