By Samantha Romero |Staff Writer|

CSUSB and the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) have made plans to ensure that more students attending high school in Riverside are more prepared for college.

CSUSB and the RUSD have signed an agreement, memorandum of understanding (MOU), that would ensure the preparation of more students at high schools in the Riverside County for college, and that they choose CSUSB, of course.

This agreement means students exiting qualified high schools are guaranteed admission.

“My thanks to Superintendent David Hansen for his exceptional efforts in advancing the success of the students in the Riverside Unified School District, who we hope will one day become CSUSB alumni,” said CSUSB President Tomas D. Morales.

Morales continued, “We believe this partnership will help build new educational opportunities for students from throughout the district and elevate both the college-going and college-completion rates in our area, which is among the lowest in the nation — a situation we’re all committed to changing.”

Hansen agreed with Morales, and said the district’s students would benefit from the agreement.

“We are excited to partner with California State University, San Bernardino to offer this outstanding opportunity to our students,” said Hansen.

“By working together with our partners in higher education, we hope to truly open the world to our graduates,” added Hansen.

The RUSD will assist students in reaching eligibility requirements for the CSU system, so that students will not require remedial courses.

High school freshmen will be provided with challenging academic programs and the appropriate advising support.

“It is crucial that students are prepared to go to college when they graduate from high school,” said Morales. “This process begins at an early age, and CSUSB is committed to working with P-12 (pre-school to 12th grade) school districts and all educational stakeholders to ensure college-readiness.”

As of now, CSUSB has signed 13 agreements with school districts throughout the Riverside and San Bernardino counties in the university’s efforts to prepare high school students for college.

The districts who are involved so far in this agreement include but are not limited to: Apple Valley Unified School District, Chaffey Joint Union High School District, Palm Springs Unified School District, Rialto Unified School District,Riverside Unified School District, San Bernardino Unified School District/Lewis Center for Educational Research – The San Bernardino Promise and Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District.

The MOU between CSUSB and the RUSD to begin in the 2015-2016 academic year.