Long Beach City College (LBCC) once again hosted the HBCU Caravan, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The event brought representatives from more than 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to campus, offering local students the opportunity to meet directly with HBCU admissions staff, receive hands-on application assistance, learn about scholarships, and explore academic programs and campus life.

“With this Caravan, we’re meeting students where they are to show them where they can go through the lens of the HBCU experience. By providing this glimpse we can open doors to new opportunities, and unlock futures,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian. “As we mark the 10th anniversary of this powerful initiative, we celebrate a decade of partnership with HBCUs and proudly reaffirm our commitment to ensuring students have access to success and the power to shape their own story.”

The Caravan was developed as an extension of the CCC to HBCU Transfer Guarantee program, which offers California community college students a guaranteed admission pathway to participating HBCUs upon completion of an associate degree for Transfer (ADT) or once a student has at least 30 University of California or California State University transferable units and a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

This program, established through a 2015 agreement between the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and select HBCUs, streamlines the transfer process, reduces excess coursework, and shortens time to degree completion, saving students both time and money.

“The beauty of this work is seeing the transformation in our students—from attending a transfer fair, to applying, enrolling, graduating, and launching their careers,” said Arynn Auzout Settle, project director of the CCC to HBCU Transfer Guarantee Pathway. “HBCUs are sacred institutions, and this partnership is built on trust, shared purpose, and a deep belief in our students’ potential.”