San Francisco State University will automatically admit students from the San Francisco Unified School District and City College of San Francisco under a new partnership, education officials announced Thursday.
Enrollment at SF State has declined 24% since 2018, falling from over 25,000 full-time equivalent students to fewer than 19,000, putting the school into a $16 million deficit. The guaranteed-admission pathway is designed to keep more students in the city and is said to “eliminate the uncertainty” from the application process.
“Without SFUSD, the [California State University] struggles to exist; without CCSF transfers, the CSU in SF will have a hard time doing its work,” Jamillah Moore, vice president for student affairs at SF State, told The Light.
Students who meet eligibility requirements will now receive a postcard in the mail that reads “Congratulations! You’re in!” Qualifying students still have to file the necessary paperwork to finalize admission.
More than 50 people attended the press conference held behind San Francisco State's new Science and Engineering Innovation Center to celebrate the new student pathway. Speakers included SF State's President Lynn Mahoney, SFUSD Superintendent Maria Sue, and City College Chancellor Kimberlee Messina.
“With the partnership of these two remarkable education leaders, we are going to make things happen in new ways in this city,” Mahoney said.
College enrollment nationwide is still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Mahoney said San Francisco’s post-pandemic recovery and continued success relies on its public education.
Sue said the city will benefit from the students who continue their education to become future employees in San Francisco.
“By knowing in advance that they have this opportunity, we truly believe our students will be empowered with the confidence to stay focused in their education,” she said.
Members of the audience, including City College Trustee Alan Wong, wanted to know how this move differed from existing partnerships, such as the Bridge to Success and the San Francisco Promise Initiative, which provide scholarships to SFSUD graduates who attend SF State.
Mahoney said what was different was “the people doing the work.” Sue added that it was the first time the institutions were partnering with the city to come together and feel responsible for students, noting Lurie’s absence from the event.
Lurie canceled his scheduled appearance earlier that morning to address the city regarding his phone call with President Donald Trump the previous night related to a “surge” of federal agents in the Bay Area.
To qualify, SFUSD graduates must complete the required A–G high school courses with a grade of C or better and earn at least a 2.5 GPA in those classes from grades 10–12. City College transfer students must finish at least 60 transferable units with a minimum 2.0 GPA across all colleges attended.
Messina said an average of 1,400 City College students have transferred to four-year institutions over the last five years, with SF State being the “strongest transfer partner.”
Katie Lynch, SF State’s senior associate vice president for enrollment management, confirmed that the education leaders had come together several weeks ago to approve the pathway.
“That scary part of the college application process is really removed because you already know the outcome,” Lynch said. “It’s really just making sure that SF residents feel like there's a higher education place for them in the city.”
