Porterville College

Porterville College, founded in 1927, is a two year community college and is a designated Hispanic serving institution.  We serve the greater Porterville area of southern Tulare County, California, including the Tule Indian Reservation.

Porterville is 65 miles south of Fresno and 57 miles north of Bakersfield.  Both Fresno and Bakersfield have a campus of the California State University which grants the Baccalaureate Degree

Several small towns make up the 4,000 square service area of Porterville College, the largest of which is Porterville with a population of approximately 40,000.  We are in an agricultural community with a high minority population.  Average unemployment rates are upwards of 17% while under 8% of the population has earned a Baccalaureate Degree.  The combination of these factors provides a great challenge for the college, that is, to educate students not only to transfer to four-year institutions but also to produce an educated skilled work force for the immediate area.

100 E. College Avenue
Porterville, CA  93257

ABOUT US

Porterville College Foundation

"The Porterville College Foundation will support Porterville College in developing activities, programs and facilities to the best interest of students; will actively solicit gifts, bequests and other income; and will demonstrate prudent fiduciary responsibility in the administration of those funds."

The Porterville College Foundation, which recently reached the $3 million mark, is organized as an auxiliary nonprofit corporation for educational, scientific, cultural, and charitable purposes to promote the general welfare of Porterville College.

The 21 member volunteer Board of Directors is comprised of 15 community members, 3 College administrators, the elected district governing Board of Members, 1 student and 1 faculty member.

The Foundation completed its first capital campaign in 1997 raising $250,000 which was matched by $500,000 from the United States Department of Education Endowment Challenge Grant.  The full corpus is held for 20 years during which time it is invested; during that period 50% of the earnings can be spent to support the college mission.  The first year's spendable earnings yielded about $80,000 for college support.

Foundation Board members have pledged support for the new Agriculture Business and Agriculture Science program at the college as well as the elementary school outreach program known as the Science, Mathematics, and Resource Technology (SMART Lab) mobile science laboratory.

Through the Porterville College First Scholarship program, the Foundation offers local high school seniors with a 3.0 grade point average an academic scholarship for continuing his/her education at Porterville College.  These scholarships are funded by proceeds from the swap meet held each Saturday morning at the College Stadium parking lot.  Approximately $100,000 in academic support is awarded to deserving students who are continuing their higher education.