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About the "Save Me a Spot in College"

Scholarship Contest

The "Save Me a Spot in College" Youth Scholarship Contest had its original launch on October 10, 2006 and will now embark on its 4th successful year. This scholarship contest provides Middle and High School students with an opportunity to learn about college, promote the value of college participation, and ensure that California provides a spot for every student who seeks it.

The contest provides 6-12th grade students in California an opportunity to express themselves to California leaders by addressing the question: "Why should California leaders save you and your peers a spot in college?" through various media (written word, poster, TV ad) to highlight the importance of college opportunity.

The goals of this scholarship contest are to:

  • Increase awareness about college going and get students to think concretely about their future as it relates to higher education,
  • Encourage young people to actively advocate for access to higher education by raising awareness within their communities and by putting pressure on elected officials to help solve the problem, 
  • Provide over $125,000 worth of scholarships to assist in funding the college education of hundreds of students across the state
  • Support teachers, schools, and youth serving organizations to continue their work in building a college going culture and preparing their students for a future in higher education.

The contest is made possible by our wonderful funders: The College Access Foundation of California and The McConnell Foundation. We are also grateful to the California Department of Education for their continued support in co-sponsoring the contest.

About the Campaign for College Opportunity

The Campaign for College Opportunity is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization devoted to ensuring that the next generation of college‐age students in California has the chance to go to college as promised by the state's 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education. The Campaign was founded by the California Business Roundtable, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the Community College League of California in 2003. Michele Siqueiros serves as the Executive Director.

The goals of the Campaign are to substantially increase the number of students attending two and four year colleges in the state and to significantly impact the rate that students succeed and achieve their post‐secondary education objectives. Through building a strong committed coalition of key education, industry, labor, and policy leaders as well as leading public awareness efforts which highlight the crisis facing higher education in California, the Campaign works to create an environment of change and lead the state toward effective policy solutions.

The Campaign would not be possible without financial support from a number of institutions including the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, the Lumina Education Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Walter S. Johnson Foundation, the McConnell Foundation, the California Wellness Foundation, the College Access Foundation of California, the Koret Foundation, the Stuart Foundation, the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, Citigroup, Kaiser Permanente and many other individuals and organizations.