In February 1996 a group of 36 fully accredited colleges and universities that serve the greater Southern California area came together to form an organization called the “Consortium of Southern California Colleges and Universities." Today, the Consortium has over 70 members and is still growing. The original purpose of the organization was to promote, organize, and schedule education fairs for the employees of local businesses and members of community organizations. In this way working adults would have easy access to information about education and financial aid opportunities.

Organizations that have hosted education fairs in the past include more than 150 Southern California companies and community groups such as ADP, Amgen, Avery Dennison, The Boeing Company, Cedar Sinai Hospital, Church of Latter Day Saints, City of Rancho Cucamonga, City of Hope, City of Torrance Chamber of Commerce, Cox Communication, Federal Aviation Administration, Farmers Insurance Group, Federal Express, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles Police Protective League, Mitsubishi Motors America, Northrop Grumman, Pacific Corporate Towers, Pentel of America, Point Hueneme Navy Base, Redlands Community Hospital, South Bay Pavilion, Toshiba American Information Systems, Toyota Motor Sales, and Vivendi Universal Entertainment.

The Consortium is thriving, and its objectives have expanded. While working to promote higher education in the greater Southern California area, the Consortium has a three-fold purpose:

	To assist working adults in identifying and pursuing appropriate educational opportunities.
	To assist employers and community groups in disseminating educational information to their employees or members.
	To promote communication and collaboration among outreach officers at colleges and universities in Southern California.