Santa Barbara City College will temporarily pause an on-campus program that provides support to Hispanic first-generation students, effective Friday.

The announcement of the temporary closure of the program — Raíces: First Year and Beyond! — was made to the college community in an email earlier this week, citing the loss of program funding and permanent staff leaving. 

The program was created through a Hispanic-Serving Institution grant in 2021 by the U.S. Department of Education and provides students with academic support and resources.

Its mission is to co-create a space with students to have them become “thriving scholars and advocates for themselves and their communities.”

The program has a student center, La Plazita, at SBCC’s West Campus Center with flags of different countries lining the walls and resources available for students, including computers and snacks.

“Raíces has had a significant and important impact on our students. During this transition period, our priority is supporting the impacted students active in the program,” Paloma Arnold, assistant superintendent and vice president of student affairs, wrote in the email. 

“The Student Affairs team is committed to ensuring that students who have relied on Raíces continue to receive the support, guidance and community connection they need through our other student services.”

The program’s primary funding source came from a federal grant for Hispanic-Serving Institutions, according to Arnold. However, the U.S. Department of Education announced last year that it would stop funding the grant program.

With the anticipation of the funding change, SBCC had been working closely with program staff to create a transition plan that included securing alternative funding for the program through the 2026-27 academic year, she said.

However, the “recent and unexpected departures of key staff and faculty require us to accelerate those plans.” The program can’t operate without permanent personnel, thus making the temporary closure “necessary,” Arnold said.

Raíces also took to its Instagram page to announce the temporary pause in services. 

“We understand this change impacts services you access on campus like counseling and advising as well as one of the places on campus you counted on to study and build community,” the statement said. “There is no announced plan for reopening.”

SBCC officials, however, are “working quickly” to complete the plan that started after the funding cuts and hope to have it ready by the start of the school year, Jordan Killebrew, executive director of public affairs and communications, told Noozhawk in an email.

SBCC’s fall semester begins on Aug. 24.

“We are actively evaluating several options that consider space needs, staffing requirements and long-term sustainability,” Arnold also told Noozhawk in an email.

In the program’s social media announcement, students took to the comments to grieve the temporary closure. 

“This is so sad. Raíces is a place of belonging and support in a system designed with minorities on the sidelines,” Erika Mireya Cruz said. “I would not be the graduate I am today without them.”

A flyer posted to social media urged students to go before the Santa Barbara City College board during its Aug. 20 meeting to protest the closure.

“This is simply a transition, and Raíces students have been communicated about this temporary change and (are) receiving support services at the moment through other programs at SBCC,” Killebrew said.