Students and parents to learn about The Hancock Promise at information sessions

Staff Report

High school students and their parents will have three opportunities next week to learn how to save $1,200 in tuition and fees through the Hancock Promise. Starting in summer 2018, any student who enrolls at Hancock immediately after graduating from a local high school will receive their first year of tuition free as part of The Hancock Promise.

Hancock will host free information sessions in English and Spanish at its Lompoc, Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valley campuses. The first workshop will take place Tuesday evening, Dec. 5 inside room 5-109 in the Public Safety Training Complex at the college’s Lompoc Valley Center. A second session will take place Wednesday, Dec. 6 at Hancock’s Santa Ynez Valley Center, which is located on the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School campus. Each evening, participants can attend a workshop in English from 5:30-6:30 p.m., followed by a session in Spanish from 7-8 p.m.

The college will host a third information session inside room G-106 in the Student Center on the Santa Maria campus on Thursday, Dec. 7. The information session in English will run from 6-7 p.m., while the Spanish workshop will run from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

“The information session is the perfect chance for students and parents to have all of their questions about The Hancock Promise answered,” said Nohemy Ornelas, Hancock associate superintendent/vice president of Student Services. “They will leave with the information and tools they need to succeed on the path to the Promise and receive their first year free at AHC.”

During each information session, Ornelas will review The Hancock Promise, address common misconceptions, review the checklist to become a Promise student, and answer questions.

“The college is dedicated to changing the odds for our community. The Promise ensures a college education is as accessible and affordable as possible. We want to make sure as many students as possible benefit from the Promise,” Ornelas added.

To be eligible for the Promise, students must graduate from a high school within the Allan Hancock Joint Community College District that spans northern Santa Barbara County and the Cuyama Valley.

For more information about The Hancock Promise or the information sessions, call 805-347-7550, or visit www.hancockcollege.edu/promise.