Parents should prepare their children for college as early as the sixth grade, California State University Chancellor Charles Reed told the black community at the morning service at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church today.

Reed spoke to about 1,000 parishioners in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood, emphasizing that good college education is a necessity in today’s competitive job market.

Today’s event is part of the CSU Super Sunday program, an initiative to inform black communities across the state about preparing and applying for college. Also present was Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Reed emphasized the importance for sixth graders and above to take and pass courses, such as algebra and English, so they will be better prepared for a college education at the CSU.

“You as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles can give no greater gift to your children than a college education,” Reed said. “Tell your teachers and principals you want your kids to go to college.”

Reed said black students face two major challenges in getting a college education.

“One is getting prepared for college education and knowing what classes to take,” Reed said. “Two is knowing when and how to apply for admissions and how to request for financial aid.”

Despite today’s higher education crisis, Reed assured that eligible black students will still be able to get into the CSU and have financial aid.

“The ones that were turned down were not eligible and we recommended that they go to a community college if they haven’t taken all the classes,” Reed said.

Sacramento State Financial Aid Office Director Craig Yamamoto and representatives from Admissions and Outreach, Equal Opportunity Program and Capital Fellows Programs also distributed informational booklets and flyers and answered questions from families and students.

“We are the predominant university in the region, and we offer quality education and affordable service, so it is important for Admissions and Outreach to be here and let them know the opportunities we have to offer,” said admissions counselor Charles Cole.

Now in its fifth year, the Super Sunday initiative has reached 100 churches across the state, according to a CSUpress release.

Parishioner Sonya Barriffe said she’s looking forward for her two children, a fifth-grader and a third-grader, going to college.

“I know they’re going to need it in today’s world, especially with the challenges of being African-American children,” Barriffe said. “They need to take that extra step in order to make them competitive in the field they choose.”

Kristine Guerra can be reached at [email protected].