Postsecondary completion is one of the most direct paths to economic mobility. A degree or credential opens doors to higher wages, better health and more stable futures. Research shows completion dramatically boosts lifetime earnings and job security. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that associate degree holders earn about $400,000 more over their lifetimes than those with only a high school diploma, while bachelor’s degree holders earn $1.2 million more.
Yet across Oakland, California, persistent disparities have long shaped who can access and complete postsecondary opportunities. Rising tuition, limited advising and the pressure to balance school, work and family have placed a degree out of reach for many young people, especially those from low-income households and those who would be the first in their families to attend college.
In the face of these realities, Oakland Promise is helping rewrite the story. A member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, Oakland Promise supports children and families from birth through college and career, weaving together expectations, resources and relationships so that more young people can thrive.
A City Growing Toward Its Future
Oakland Promise grounds its work in the strengths of the city — the creativity, resilience and deep community pride that define Oakland families. But it also listens closely to what young people experience as they navigate the education and employment systems around them. 
Students shared the stress of completing financial aid forms, the juggling act of work and caregiving and the feeling that they were navigating college decisions on their own. Families shared fears about debt, uncertainty about savings and a desire to build a stronger foundation for their children’s futures.
These insights shaped a cradle-to-career vision that begins in the earliest years. The Brilliant Baby program helps families open college savings accounts and access early childhood supports. Kindergarten to College ensures every kindergartner in Oakland public and charter schools receives a college savings seed, building early expectations about what’s possible. Their college access programming reaches more than 14,000 middle and high school students each year with advising, financial aid help and exposure to college and career pathways.
By starting early, Oakland Promise helps families build confidence, awareness and financial readiness before students take their first step toward postsecondary opportunities.
Listening to Students and Removing Barriers
The journey after high school is one of the most uncertain moments in a young person’s life. Students may feel excited about the future but unsure how to navigate complex systems. Oakland Promise designed the College Completion program in response to the things students said they needed most.
Through a partnership with Beyond 12, a tech-enabled nonprofit that helps students navigate postsecondary systems, scholars receive personalized coaching focused on academic planning, financial aid, time management and campus life. In 2024, 1,981 students accessed these supports, compared with 1,542 the previous year, contributing to an 87% first-to-second-year persistence rate, a strong indicator of long-term completion.
One Oakland Promise scholar reflected on how these supports shaped their journey: “The Oakland Promise Scholarship has supported my academic journey in both practical and transformative ways. The funding is flexible and easy to access, helping me cover books and rent without extra stress. But the real impact has come from the guidance and opportunities OP provides, from workshops and newsletters to advisors who are genuinely invested in our growth. Oakland Promise didn’t just support my education. It opened doors, expanded my skills and helped me chart a clearer path from college to career.”
Financial support also plays a critical role. Since its launch, Oakland Promise has provided more than $34 million in scholarships and persistence supports, including $5.03 million in 2025. These funds help scholars pay for tuition and also for the expenses that often push students off track like books, housing deposits, transportation and meal plans.
Students also emphasized the need for belonging. Many are the first in their families to attend college. Some commute long distances. Others balance multiple jobs. A sense of isolation can affect persistence as much as academics. Oakland Promise created CREWS (College Retention and Engagement With Support) to build meaningful peer connections during the first year of college. Peer mentors help students navigate campus culture, access resources and build community in an unfamiliar place.
These academic, financial and relational supports reflect what Oakland Promise heard from students and families. They address the real reasons students leave college and create the conditions for them to stay.
Creating Networks of Belonging and Opportunity
Oakland Promise understands that college is also about building networks, gaining experiences and learning to see oneself in a future career. Scholars benefit from a community of adults and peers who believe in them and are committed to their success.
Partnerships with the Peralta Community College District, regional universities and employers like Credit Karma expand what’s possible. In 2024, these collaborations helped students connect classroom learning to real-world experience through paid internships, leadership development and global opportunities.
These relationships build confidence and strengthen social capital, helping students imagine careers that once felt out of reach. They also show young people that Oakland employers value their talent and future contributions.
The same spirit of belonging is woven throughout the entire cradle-to-career continuum. Families feel it when they open Brilliant Baby savings accounts. Children feel it when they receive their first Kindergarten to College deposits. Teens feel it when advisors help them complete financial aid forms and explore career options. College students feel it when mentors walk beside them through difficult semesters.
At every stage, Oakland Promise reinforces a consistent message: you belong in college, and you deserve the support to finish.
Momentum for the Road Ahead
The progress in Oakland shows what’s possible when a city commits to a shared vision for economic mobility. Scholars have maintained 85 to 88% persistence rates between their first and second year of college. Early investment programs are also gaining momentum. More than 3,000 families participate in Brilliant Baby children’s savings accounts. More than 45,000 students have received Kindergarten to College seed awards. The college access program supports more than 14,000 middle and high school students each year. And more than 4,800 scholars have received $34 million in scholarships and persistence supports. In the 2024–25 school year alone, College Completion supported 2,511 postsecondary scholars and distributed $2.75 million in scholarships.
Looking ahead, Oakland Promise is deepening data systems across K–12 and postsecondary partners, expanding employer partnerships and strengthening programs that build both skills and confidence. These efforts move the organization closer to its ambitious goal: putting 50,000 young people on a path toward postsecondary attainment by 2030.
Oakland’s progress offers a powerful lesson for communities across the country. When young people have consistent support from early childhood through college — and when schools, community organizations and employers work together toward a shared vision — postsecondary completion becomes possible for every student.
