Located in the East Bay and home to the Diablo mountain range, Contra Costa County is the ninth most populated California county with over 1.1 million residents. However, less than half of Contra Costa high school students are meeting the A-G curriculum requirements to enroll in college and there is a high percentage of socioeconomically disadvantaged students who are in need of our support. The pandemic and struggling economy have exacerbated educational and economic inequities, especially for our students from low-income backgrounds and BIPOC communities, as the troubling statistics at right demonstrate.

10,000 Degrees works to change that. We are committed to increasing student applications for free financial aid at our partner schools, and helping more socioeconomically disadvantaged students in Contra Costa County get into college, persist in college—and graduate with their degree. That’s our promise.

How we do it: We work directly with Contra Costa County students from low-income backgrounds to:

• Foster a college-going culture
• Introduce 2- and 4-year college pathway options
• Help students apply for and enroll in college
• Help students apply for and manage free financial aid (FAFSA & CA Dream Act). Just last year, with our support, FAFSA completion rates increased at Sylvester Greenwood Academy by 53% and at John F. Kennedy High School by 27% compared to the year before.
• Provide scholarships and near-peer mentoring to help our students navigate the entire college success journey
• Offer community college transfer support
• and more!

Our support extends to, through, and beyond college: We offer paid internships and career development opportunities through our local business partners.