The California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP) is a statewide program designed to increase the number of students attending college. The program serves students that are from low-income families, will be the first in their family to attend college, or are from areas or schools with low-eligibility or college-participation rates. Cal-SOAP was established by the state legislature in 1978 and today, operates projects in 17 locations throughout the state by consortia made up of secondary and postsecondary schools and community agencies. Cal-SOAP works in cooperation with other intersegmental outreach programs to avoid service duplication, and is administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).

The North Valley Cal-SOAP Consortium serves approximately 1,500 high school students in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter, Tehama, and Yuba Counties. The educational partners comprising the consortium include the following:
• Over twenty public school districts in the six county service area
• Butte College
• California State University, Chico
• California State University, Sacramento
• Migrant Education, Region II, Areas 3 & 4
• Work-Force Investment Act
• Yuba College

The mission of North Valley Cal-SOAP is to combine resources to increase the college-going rate among local students who traditionally do not attend postsecondary institutions.