Sacramento State announced Thursday April 18, that it has partnered with the Elk Grove Unified School District to offer conditional admission to over 2,000 eligible graduating seniors as long as they apply before the May 1 admissions deadline.

“Elk Grove Unified is very excited about this partnership and the opportunity it presents for all EGUSD seniors,” EGUSD Communications Manager James Tan said in a statement. “As the largest district in Northern California, this opportunity enables eligible seniors from across the district to pursue higher education at an excellent university.”

Sac State President Luke Wood has focused on increasing access to higher education and enrollment rates since he was appointed last year.

“Sac State is creating innovative initiatives to make sure students graduating from high school have a direct pathway to higher education,” Wood said in a statement. “I’m excited about this partnership with EGUSD and look forward to serving all of the students in the Sacramento Region.”

Wood’s office has worked to achieve the goals outlined in his spring address, including increasing enrollment and accessibility for communities who are traditionally underrepresented on college campuses.

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“It’s not a scholarship, it’s informing people and opening up greater opportunities for students in Elk Grove,” Sac State Director of News and Communications Brian Blomster said.

EGUSD Communications Manager Lori Gerber praised the program for presenting options to eligible students, specifically those who are unsure of what to do after they graduate.

“It’s a great opportunity for our students and our seniors, especially as they’re getting ready to graduate,” Gerber said. “We want them to have options. This is a fantastic one that keeps them close to home in the community.”

The EGUSD partnership will expand further than the 2024 school year, according to Admissions Director Brian Henley. He said that Sac State is going to extend more partnership offers to other school districts.

“It kind of made sense for us to start with Elk Grove since we enroll more students from them than any other school district in the state,” Henley said, “Our primary goal is to make sure we are serving students in our local area.”

Henley said there can be confusion around the college admissions process for some high school students, but the Sac State and EGUSD’s partnership aims to change that. Henley recommends high school students go to Cal State Apply to apply for college.

“Cal State Apply is the one centralized application for all 23 campuses of the California State University System.” Henley said, “Complete that application and be sure you select Sac State as the one you want when you click submit.”

According to a press release EGUSD Superintendent Christopher Hoffman said he was grateful to Sac State for the offer.

“Sac State’s commitment to accessible education is truly exceptional and will help shape brighter futures for all our students,” Hoffman said.