Eligible Community College Students Guaranteed Transfer to Sacramento State’s Black Honors College

By Evan Castillo

• Eligible transfer students from 15 California community colleges are guaranteed admission into the California State University, Sacramento Black Honors College (BHC).
• The BHC is a first-in-the-nation honors college designed to support Black and African American students’ success. It will have dedicated faculty and staff and a 6,000-square-foot space.
• The BHC is open to all students regardless of race. The university encourages students with a 3.5 GPA or higher to apply.
• Sacramento State also has been designated as the state’s first Black-serving institution by the California State Assembly.

The California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State) signed a deal with 15 California community colleges to guarantee the admission of all eligible transfer students to its first-in-the-nation Black Honors College (BHC).

Sacramento State signed the partnership agreement with the participating community colleges during a Juneteenth Symposium on June 13. Eligible students will be able to transfer smoothly into the BHC from Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2030, according to an emailed press release.

“If we want to create upward social economic mobility for our most minoritized communities, the best way to do that is to partner with the folks who are doing the really hard work in creating pathways for minoritized students,” Sacramento State President Dr. Luke Wood said in the press release.

Applications for the college opened Feb. 20 for the inaugural 2024-25 year. The program is designed for Black and African American students but is open to all students interested in Black history, life, and culture. Students with a 3.5 GPA or higher are encouraged to apply.

Wood previously told BestColleges that the BHC will be an “institution within the institution” with its own faculty, staff, and a dedicated 6,000-square-foot space. Students will have smaller classes taught by faculty “who have a demonstrated record of success in teaching Black students,” and have access to BHC-specific scholarships.

“We are building something new, something that has never been done before. And we should think about that. How come no college has ever done this before? Does that say something about what people think about Black intelligence?” he previously said in an email.

As the partnership grows, more community colleges will be added. For now, the participating colleges are:

Wood previously told BestColleges the idea for the initiatives came from a report by an internal California State University group he was a part of that was tasked with improving outcomes for Black students.

“The report detailed the fact that many colleges and universities have systematically failed Black students in terms of climate, retention, graduation rates, and labor market outcomes,” he said. “This is an opportunity to do something that does not exist elsewhere.”

Senate Bill 1348 would create a “Black-serving institution” designation for California colleges and universities with Black student populations of at least 10% or 1,500 students.

Despite still making its way through the Legislature, the California State Assembly last week recognized Sacramento State as California’s first Black-serving institution because of its efforts to increase Black student enrollment and graduation rates.

The university will also house the CSU Statewide Central Office for the Advancement of Black Excellence.