The mission of Eastfield College is to provide excellence in teaching and learning.
The Gateway to College program at Eastfield College is a scholarship program that serves youth ages 16 to 24 years old who are at risk for not completing high school or attending college in either Garland or Mesquite school districts. The program gives students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma while transitioning to a college campus through the gift of FREE tuition and books. Students may simultaneously accumulate high school and college credits, earning their high school diploma while progressing toward an associate degree or certificate.
Gateway to College is changing lives. Students who at one time questioned graduating from high school and attending college are earning their diplomas and succeeding in a higher learning environment. They are pursuing four-year degrees and challenging careers. In short, they are reinventing themselves for their future.
Gateway to College students learn how to succeed in an educational setting under the guidance of a caring team of instructors and student support specialists with experience and commitment to at-risk youth. In their first year, students learn in a cohort—a group of students who take classes together. The cohort, known as a Learning Community, helps students build their academic and personal skills in a team setting, preparing them for college courses with the general student population. In addition to reading, writing, and math, cohort students take a Study Skills and College Transitions class to help focus their academic goals and classroom strategies to learn how to balance the demands of college life by taking effective notes, studying for tests, and juggling school, work, and family life.
The Gateway to College program was developed at Portland Community College and Eastfield College was selected to replicate the Gateway to College program in partnership with Garland Independent School District and Mesquite Independent School District.
Please contact Gateway to College information line at 972-860-7129 or send an email to GatewaytoCollege@dcccd.edu if you have any questions.