Dual Enrollment Program Secures Impactful 1M Grant Toward Expansion
The Dual Enrollment and High School Articulation Program at Fullerton College recently secured a $4.75M grant for its Middle College Early College (MCEC) and College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP). This large grant will ensure that every student, regardless of income and social capital, has access and exposure to Fullerton College’s dual enrollment courses while creating seamless pathways from local communities to the college.
The program also serves 18 high schools and averaged around 175 classes for the 2024-25 academic year.
The funding will be split among the following school districts:
MCEC-Funded School Districts
- Brea Olinda Unified School District
- Fullerton Joint Union School District
- Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District
CCAP-Funded School Districts
- Anaheim Union School District
- Brea Olinda Unified School District
- Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District
Fullerton College proudly embraces the commitment of its leaders and staff as they work to create opportunities for students. This feature explores Director of the Dual Enrollment and High School Articulation Program, Tam Contreras, and her journey to securing this grant.
Q: What did the process of securing these grants look like? Were there potential challenges?
A: Since I started this role, I have informed my partners of this pending opportunity and shared the benefits of these grants with the school sites to encourage them to apply. I also worked collaboratively and closely with each high school district to review their programs, pathways and align it to the grant narrative. We had only four weeks to complete over 27 grants as each high school wrote for either the CCAP, MCEC or both depending on what they qualified for.
Q: Can you describe Fullerton College’s MCEC/CCAP goals with school partners?
A: The goals for these grants are to expand dual enrollment opportunities for our high school partnerships. The funds increase access through marketing and promotion of the programs and funding textbook costs for our high school students.
Q: What will the funds be used for and what impact can they expect to cultivate?
A: Funding partnership for the Dual Enrollment office includes increasing access to our support programs, direct support at high schools and increased collaboration.
Q: What do the Dual Enrollment Office’s plans for the 2025-26 academic year look like?
A: The dual enrollment office can expect to increase its course offerings, course success rates and create stronger community presence regarding dual enrollment efforts and opportunities.
Q: What are you most excited about after having secured these grants?
A: I am excited to continue to ensure that our partnerships have strong funding support to actualize our vision for our programs.
The Dual Enrollment and High School Articulation Program at Fullerton College partners with in-service-area school districts to offer free college courses to K–12 students. A cost-effective way to start one’s academic career, the program exposes students to college experiences, helps them earn transferable college credits and more.
Learn more about Dual Enrollment on the program’s website.
