Gateway to College

Middle and High School Student Programs
In this Section

Gateway to College is an alternative education program for School District of Philadelphia students, ages 16 to 21, who have disengaged from high school but desire to get back on track and earn a diploma. What makes Gateway to College truly unique is that our students will not only have a second chance to earn a high school diploma, but will also earn college credits toward an associate’s degree or certificate.

In today’s global economy, more than 80 percent of the fastest growing jobs require education or training beyond high school. Since adults lacking a high school diploma are twice as likely to be unemployed, your options without one are limited.

Community College of Philadelphia's Gateway to College is an educational alternative for out-of-school youth who may not have had success in other learning environments. Gateway is looking for students who have the desire and determination to learn, work hard, and earn a high school diploma and college credits.

Schools and Community Organizations: Request a Presentation 
If you're interested in requesting a presentation about the Gateway to College program for your school or community organization, please complete our request form.

Roary at CCP

How to Apply

Please review the basic eligibility requirements before applying to the program:

  • You are between the ages of 16 and 21
  • Not currently attending school,do not have a GED, and have been out of school for at least 3 months
  • You live within the boundaries of the School District of Philadelphia
  • You are able to perform in college-level courses as determined by a Reading and Math assessment

Apply to Gateway to College

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Who are Gateway to College students?
Gateway to College is for students who meet the following criteria:

  • 16 to 21 years old
  • Disengaged from high school and have not earned a diploma or GED
  • Willing to make a long-term commitment (1-3 years) to complete high school diploma requirements and accumulate college credits

2) How does the Gateway to College program work?
Once accepted, students will receive academic support in math, reading, college readiness workshops and also meet weekly with an academic coordinator to help ensure they stay on track. The support Gateway provides includes:

  • Workshops to prepare you to become a college student at the College's Main Campus
  • Daily academic support from Gateway to College staff and the college's learning labs
  • Weekly meetings with your Academic Coordinator
  • Individualized mentoring
  • Workshops to support students' college and career goals and social-emotional wellbeing

Gateway students enroll in College courses and earn both high school and college credits. All courses are selected based upon your high school graduation plan and your postsecondary goals. The Gateway Academic Coordinator assigned to you will provide guidance and assistance with your individual success plan.

3) What can I achieve in this program?
Gateway students can earn their high school diploma and earn Community College of Philadelphia credits toward an associate degree or certificate.

4) How long will it take me to earn my high school diploma?
Students are in the Gateway to College program for one to three years. The exact length of time varies depending on your course load and credit needs. You will remain in Gateway to College until you earn a high school diploma. We encourage and assist Gateway graduates in continuing their education beyond Gateway, including developing a transition plan during your senior seminar class.

5) What is expected of me?

  • You are expected to attend all of your classes daily
  • You are expected to come to class on time, be prepared with class materials, and to complete all coursework and homework assignments
  • You are expected to spend three to four hours a day on homework outside of class time, and we strongly encourage students who have a job to consider the time demands of the program
  • You are expected to adhere to all Community College of Philadelphia policies and procedures

6) What is the cost of the program?
Gateway to College pays for college tuition, textbooks and program fees. There are no out of pocket fees to students.

7) What kind of support can I expect as a Gateway to College student?
An Academic Coordinator is assigned to students upon acceptance into the program. Academic Coordinators provide support and access to resources to help you succeed in the program. The coordinators also provide the following services:

  • Transcript reviews and academic advising
  • Assistance with completing enrollment and registration
  • Referrals to resources, such as tutoring, health services, childcare services
  • Personal counseling and guidance, including assistance with problem solving, time management and stress management
  • Assistance with job and college applications

Please call 215.751.8404 or email gateway [at] ccp.edu (gateway[at]ccp[dot]edu) for additional information.

Gateway to College Student Success Stories

August Giardina-Taylor
Gateway to College Class of 2026

August (Gus) has maintained a 4.1 high school GPA, and 3.6 college GPA. While in the Gateway program, he has effectively juggled schoolwork, traveling around the world playing volleyball as an international athlete, coaching volleyball at South Philadelphia high school and participating in Gateway to College's National Honor Society. Gus will be graduating with 56 transferrable college credits and has been accepted to Widener University with the Presidential Scholarship of $32,000  ($128,000 over four years).

 

 

 

Jasiah Jones
Gateway to College Class of 2026

On Thursday, April 9, 2026 we celebrated senior Jasiah Jones as we inducted him into the National Honor Society Chapter at Gateway to College. NHS students embody the NHS tenets of Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service. Scholarship denotes a commitment to learning. Jasiah has maintained a 3.1 HS GPA and 3.1 college GPA while in the Gateway program and will graduate with 50 transferrable college credits. Because of his commitment to academic excellence, Jasiah has been accepted to Rutger’s University with an $84,000 scholarship offer.

 

Aaron Aldrich
Gateway to College Class of 2026

Aaron has maintained a 3.4 HS GPA while enrolled as a student at Gateway to College student. Aaron has stellar attendance as a dual enrollment student and has been recognized by the Gateway to College program every semester for achieving 95% monthly attendance. His committment to his studies has allowed him to earn 43 transferrable college credits. He plans to continue his studies in Business at Widener University and was offered a $136,000 scholarship.

 

 


Aniyah Thompson
Gateway to College Class of 2017

Aniyah Thompson  participated in the 2017 cohort of the Aspen Challenge Philadelphia. She continues to serve as a Mentor for the Aspen Institute mentoring students in Detroit as they facilitate their Aspen Challenge experience for this year. In addition, Aniyah was an intern in Gateway's vocational work experiences program while a student in which she worked at United Bank where she was hired for fulltime employment and worked there for 2 years. Aniyah credits her experience in the vociational work experiences program to being the reason she is currently an Accountant. Aniyah remained at the college and graduated from the Ophthalmology program at the CCP-Northwest campus. Aniyah serves on the Gateway School Advisory Council and still volunteers with the program as a Judge for Senior multidisciplinary projects. Aniyah says that she will never forget and can’t thank Gateway enough for opening doors for her at a hard time in her life. She feels that CCP faculty treated students like they belonged regardless of what level they came in and the additional supports provided by the Gateway team allowed her to excel.

 

 Isaiah Sealey 
Gateway to College Class of 2026

Isaiah has maintained a 3.6 college GPA while enrolled as a student at Gateway to College. While a focused and driven student at Gateway, Isaiah was concurrently enrolled in a Nurse Aide certification program at CareBridge Academy in the Fall in which the Gateway program provided financial assistance with  the state certification testing fees for Isaiah's Certified Nurse Aide industry licensure. Isaiah will be graduating from Gateway to College in June and will have earned 35 transferrable credits and plans to continue studies at Chestnut Hill Nursing program which awarded an $18,000 scholarship ($72,000 over four years).