Jessie Ryan, regional outreach coordinator for the Campaign for College Opportunity, said the bill blends social justice with workforce development, making for unprecedented bipartisan support. The end result of the bill's passage would be enough new students to help fill the void created by "the retirement of the baby boomer population coupled with the growing demand for an educated workforce." State officials estimate a workforce deficit of 3.2 million by 2015. Industries specifically in greatest need of well-prepared workers are: professional, scientific and technical services and education and healthcare fields. Also impacted by the shortfall will be finance, manufacturing and information sectors.

The bill has been working its way through committees and is expected to reach the floor of the Assembly for a vote on Aug. 31, after the Upstate Business Journal's deadline. (Please visit www.upstatebusiness.net for updates.)

State Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell has already indicated his support for the program, including incorporating its goals into the Department of Education's Roadmap to College Services program at a cost of $125,000 per year.

"There's been no opposition because it's a very fiscally responsible bill," Ryan said. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is also expected to sign the bill into law if it passes the Senate and Assembly. Other supporters range from the state Chamber of Commerce to Upstate Senator Sam Aanestad, R-Grass Valley.

Aanestad, who represents the 4th District to the state Senate, spoke at a Capitol news conference on May 31 supporting SB 890. "I cannot overstate the importance of making an early commitment to higher education," Aanestad stated. "All of these students have made the necessary sacrifices to attend college after the completion of high school, and their accomplishments and leadership skills should be recognized."

If the bill passes, the student participants, who will be from low-income families and/or first-generation college students, will be eligible for a two-year tuition waiver at a community college or a university financial aid package based on their participation in the program. But, since the students would almost certainly have been eligible for state grants anyway, the Early College Commitment Act should not have a significant impact on the state budget. (Estimates range from $1 to $2 million.)

In 1960, the state's Master Plan for Higher Education, passed by the Legislature, stated that California would make the opportunity to obtain a college education available to all its citizens. Yet the state has dropped to 40th in the nation in terms of young people going on to college.

The plan is modeled after a successful program in Indiana, which as a state rose from 40th to 9th in college enrollment after Legislators started the "21st Century Scholars" program 10 years ago. Similar compacts have been enacted on a smaller scale in California communities such as Stockton, which offers a "Passport for College" to local fifth graders.

SB 890 was principally authored by Democratic Senator Jack Scott but has 32 co-authors and broad-based support. Noted supporters include the California Farm Bureau Federation and various local chambers of commerce. The California Business Roundtable played a large role in developing the plan.

Ryan said that politically diverse entities "were willing to put aside their differences to come together" on the bill.

There were a few comprises to be made, however. For example, if a participating family were to come out of poverty to the point that they would not normally be eligible for financial aid, the state would not have to follow through with the tuition waiver. And children of immigrant families who have not obtained citizenship will only be eligible for the program if Assembly Bill 540 passes, making undocumented students eligible for financial aid.

The case for the bill was bolstered by "return on investment" research conducted by U.C. Berkeley which found that for every new dollar spent on promoting college attendance, $3 is returned.

If the bill is passed and the program implemented, the "heart of the campaign" will be outreach, Ryan said. Beginning in the 2009 academic year, the 30 percent of schools with the lowest-income population of students would be targeted on a voluntary participation basis. Other schools could also choose to participate, and districts must agree to assist students in receiving the "Roadmap to College" services. To receive the two-year fee waiver at a community college, or guaranteed financial aid at a four-year school (including private universities), students in grades 6 through 9 must promise to follow a career technical or college preparatory course path and to, with their parents, fill out the FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The money would come from entitlement-based CalGrants as well as federal Pell grants.

The effort to promote the bill has been funded and managed by the nonprofit College Access Foundation, which has received grants from the James Irvine Foundation as well as the Shasta County-based McConnell Foundation and other sources.

Statewide, only 43 percent of high school graduates go directly on to college, and in the Upstate the rate is even lower.

Upstate students took part in contests promoting the "Save Me a Spot in College" effort. Winning essays were submitted by 10th graders Megan Akers of Redding and Tony Silva of Palo Cedro while Redding 11th grader Lauren Sanborn won for her poster design.

"Parents and students need to be made aware that college is accessible and affordable," Ryan said. "If they don't believe they can afford college, they don't see why they should graduate from high school."