MURRIETA —— Murrieta students can breathe easier about getting into college thanks to a deal between the school district and Cal State San Bernardino guaranteeing admission to seniors who meet certain requirements.

The deal was more than a year in the making and recently finalized. Prior to the compact, Murrieta Valley Unified School District seniors were not guaranteed admittance even if they met the university's requirements.

This is the first time Cal State San Bernardino has partnered with a school district in a program such as this, said James Monaghan, the university's director for the Office of Distributed Learning.

"We are tremendously excited about this," he said. "We saw it as a win-win all the way around."

Murrieta district officials have been spreading word of the deal recently in newsletters and meetings, heralding it as a "tremendous opportunity for students."

Dean Lesicko, a Murrieta Valley High School learning coordinator who helped broker the arrangement, said, "The idea was to try and eliminate barriers, anything that is going to stand in the way of students' access to higher education."

To qualify for admission, students must meet four requirements, Lesicko said.

First, they must take all the necessary prerequisite courses, which include English, math and a foreign language. Second, they must maintain a 3.0 grade-point average. Third, students must pass the entry level math and English placement exams. Lastly, they must take the SAT or ACT, although there is no mandatory minimum score required.

"Even though Temecula and Murrieta are fairly affluent areas, a lot of these students are first-generation college students," Lesicko said. "Studies have shown that first-generation college students need a little assistance to access higher education."

Founded in 1965, Cal State San Bernardino is a public university serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties. About 16,000 students attend classes at the campus, 5500 University Parkway, in San Bernardino. The college offers more than 70 traditional bachelor's and master's degree programs.

Contact staff writer Jennifer Kabbany at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2625, or jkabbany@californian.com.