“The strategy here is to get our students, particularly men of color, connected with
our resources,” said Vice President of Student Services Marciano Perez Jr., who noted
that City College’s men of color are especially not well represented in accessing
services such as counseling and financial aid.
Barbershops have always been a place for men of color to hang out — vibrant community
hubs where folks from all socioeconomic backgrounds can gather to socialize, organize,
and discuss everything from family to politics and sports.
“We asked ourselves, ‘what would it take to create that same vibe, that same opportunity,
on our campus?’” said City College President Ricky Shabazz. Thirty-five percent of
those enrolled are first-generation college students, nearly half have annual incomes of less than $27,000, 35% are earning less than $15,000 annually, and more than 75%
are students of color.
It was shortly after Shabazz and Perez were returning from getting haircuts at off-campus
barbershops when the ‘aha moment’ struck: offering free, professional haircuts to
get more men of color to file or update an education plan and complete a FAFSA form.
The incentive would help students tap into financial aid programs such as the Student Success Completion Grant, Pell grants, and the San Diego Promise — all while creating a safe space to build community and a greater sense of acceptance
on a campus where “You Belong Here” is more than a motto.
“Haircuts are expensive,” said Xavier Vasquez, a 30-year-old returning student studying
business with an eye on transferring to San Diego State University for a bachelor’s
degree in marketing. “If all you have to do is fill out a FAFSA form and make an educational
plan to get free haircuts throughout the semester, that’s going to motivate a lot
of people, which is going to help them stay in college. It’s a great idea.”
Fresh Cutz sits on the ground floor of a building that once housed a manufacturing
and technology incubator that’s been repurposed into an expansive student services
hub that also includes Knights’ Table Food Pantry and Knights Threads & Things, the
latter of which provides new and gently used clothing appropriate for formal interviews.
“A barbershop is more than just a place to get your haircut; it’s a place for conversation,
dialogue, camaraderie,” Perez said. “We wanted to create a space that would attract
students to come spend 45 minutes not only getting a haircut, but learn more about
the wide array of student services we have here at City.”
Fresh Cutz is following a path blazed by the national Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, whose mission is to address health disparities among African American men while
they’re visiting barber shops. Since its inception in 2006, the program has screened
over 30,000 men for diabetes and high blood pressure, and has inspired other programs
around the world.
“This is going to be a trend across the country,” said President Shabazz. “Colleges
are searching for ways to improve retention rates among students of color. This is
one way we can do that.”