Student Sucess Programs

The Veterans Services Program provides assistance to veterans and their dependents who may be eligible for various educational benefits. To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of “New Student Veteran” enrollment steps. Once you’ve laid the groundwork, schedule a Veteran’s Counseling appointment at (510) 436-2475. We hope this helps clarify the process, and we look forward to meeting you!

Umoja/Sankofa is an exciting initiative at Merritt College. Although the primary focus of the program is on the achievement of African-American students, Umoja/Sankofa’s services are open to all students who desire the nurturing services offered by the program. The emphasis of the program is successful completion of English, mathematics, science, and information technology courses, while at the same time assisting students in exploring STEM disciplines and other subject areas as they prepare for their careers. Umoja/Sankofa assists students in the development of Student Educational Plans (SEPs), selection of courses, addressing personal concerns, and connecting students to support services across the Merritt campus.

The four-week program focused on college success and career exploration, with classes in English and Counseling, and a chance to make new friends. “Our mission is to provide a supporting and caring environment to these students who we recruited from Oakland feeder high schools, the majority from underserved populations,” says Counselor Rosa Perez, who coordinated the program with the help of Dr. Marty Zielke. “We were so proud to participate in their graduation celebration, and now to see them walking around campus is a great feeling.”

Centro Latino Services at Merritt College is committed to providing support services to students from various ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds who desire to pursue higher education. While collaborating with other programs on campus and surrounding communities, the Centro Latino will focus on outreach, recruitment, and retention of Chicano/Latino communities. Our vision is to create educational opportunities for students of underrepresented backgrounds that will help increase their resources, skills, desire for lifelong learning, and enhance their quality of life through education.

First-Year Experience IMPACT Program (FYE) is a year-long program designed to help incoming students ease into college life in a supportive environment. Dedicated faculty, staff, and The mission of Merritt College is to enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve by helping students to attain knowledge, master skills, and develop the appreciation, attitudes and values needed to succeed and participate responsibly in a democratic society and a global economy. counselors will work closely with students to make this transition successful. This experience will set the foundation for a successful journey through Merritt College and into a bright future.

The Puente Project is a transfer support program designed to increase thenumber of educationally underrepresented students who: • Enroll in four-year colleges and universities • Earn college degrees • And return to their communities as mentors and leaders Puente means “bridge” in Spanish. As the name suggests, we help students build bridges to higher education. Puente is an award-winning program that has helped thousands of students reach their dreams of college success through its innovative combination of accelerated writing instruction, intensive academic counseling and mentoring. Puente is co-sponsor

Merritt College collaborates with neighboring county social services departments for the purpose of helping families with dependent children to transition from receiving public assistance to becoming self-sufficient in the work force. The CalWORKs department strives to encourage a positive environment where students who are part of the county’s CalWORKs program can seek support.

Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) is a state-funded program designed to ensure campus access and provide support services to students who face economic, language, and social barriers and who are historically under-represented in higher education. EOPS assists students who participate in the program to attain their educational and career goals as they prepare to enter an increasingly technological and multicultural society. Our goal is to support and enable EOPS students’ through a comprehensive program of services. For a list of EOPS services and eligibility requirements, please go to the links on the left.

Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) is a subset of EOPS, designed to provide extra educational support services to EOPS students who are also single parents receiving CalWORKs cash aid. CARE may provide you with some or all of these benefits: academic, career, and personal counseling; peer advising; CARE grants; tutoring; referrals; transportation; book vouchers; assistance with school supplies; daily meal services; awards luncheon; and coverage of some student fees. Click HERE for eligibility requirements.

Foster Youth Support Services helps to provide a smooth transition to college for current and former foster youth students at Merritt College. Our goal is to create an engaging, inclusive, and equitable community in which current and former foster youth can attain their educational, career, and personal goals. We aim to provide a “One-Stop-Shop” that offers personalized assistance with educational goals by offering holistic services such as academic counseling, personal support, book grants, and referrals to community resources. We strive to engage and connect our students to campus life and ensure a sense of belonging that will create opportunities for you to achieve your goals. We are proud to have two programs serving foster youth: