For students in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park’s Belle Haven neighborhood, where poverty and rental housing rates are highest in San Mateo County, there are numerous barriers to college access and persistence. Hardships don’t stop once a college acceptance letter is received—most students still lack the financial, academic, and social-emotional support needed to thrive as college students. As a result, first-generation, low-income (FLI) students enrolled in bachelor’s degrees are four times more likely to leave college after their first year when compared to their continuing-generation, middle-class peers.
65%
First-generation high school graduates
87%
First-generation college students
88%
Socioecnomically disadvantaged
50%
Face housing insecurity
35%
English language learners
WE MEET STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE.
EPAAF believes that each EPAA student, regardless of race, economic background, and initial academic preparedness, deserves high-quality education. Together, East Palo Alto Academy and Foundation empower students to break the cycle of poverty, contribute to their communities, and access lives of choice and opportunity.