A: For more than 100 years, the San Bernardino Community College District has provided quality, affordable higher education and career training to more than 20,000 students each year across the Inland Empire. Attending one of our colleges costs about six times less than a Cal State and sixteen times less than a UC, making higher education and opportunity truly accessible to all. SBCCD helps students earn college credits, certifications, and job skills close to home, then transfer to four-year universities without taking on significant debt.

A: Our colleges offer real skills and real opportunities right here — through programs that train nurses, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, teachers and skilled trades specialists. These programs help students get in‑demand, good‑paying jobs and help the local workforce.

To maintain the job training programs our communities need for the next 100 years, we must expand hands‑on learning for in demand, local skilled‑trade careers like welding, snow removal, electrical work, heating/air‑conditioning, and more. But these programs require specialized equipment and up-to-date facilities to train the workers of tomorrow.

A: Did you know- SBCCD is responsible for training most of the firefighters who protect our communities and trains our nurses, paramedics and more regionwide?

Wildfires such as Bridge and Line Fires burned tens of thousands of acres – and they are getting more frequent each year statewide.

That is why the district must maintain and expand the training programs and specialized facilities our firefighters and other emergency responders are ready to act, keeping our residents safe – now and in the future.

A: Yes. As community members ourselves, we understand that our rural, mountain communities face extra challenges like long travel and weather. SBCCD helps by offering affordable education and job training at Valley College- creating local jobs, and preparing residents for careers in fields such as nursing, teaching, firefighting, and emergency response. But these specialized programs need to be expanded so that our rural communities can take these important classes close to home.

A: At this time, funding does not exist to upgrade equipment, classrooms and career training facilities to keep pace with current industry standards or expand the workforce programs our local students need to earn college credits, certifications, and job skills at an affordable price, or transfer to four-year colleges and universities without generating significantcrushing debt. SBCCD is engaging in an updated needs assessment at each College campus to ascertain what each College needs, in advance of the districts’ upcoming education master planning update.

A: We welcome your input and are here to help students and families take their life and career to the next level. For more information or to share your thoughts about SBCCD’s colleges, please visit the district website or contact the district office at (909) 388-6900 or send us a message.