Cal State Fullerton is introducing a seven-step pledge to increase support for students as a tuition increase goes into effect this fall across the California State University system.
From grants and scholarships, to technological tools and a food pantry stocked with healthy choices, the university offers many resources to financially assist students.
“Navigating the myriad of resources on campus and in the community can be complicated and can feel like a barrier itself,” said Cal State Fullerton President Sylvia Alva. “We commit and pledge to our students and future students that we will continue to reduce financial barriers and provide additional supportive resources so they can successfully thrive and complete their college degree with little or no debt.”
Approximately 68% of Cal State Fullerton students graduate without college debt. The CSUF Pledge is an effort to ensure that the number of students graduating debt-free increases even as costs go up.
“We’ll continue to closely monitor our student debt rate to ensure that we track our progress in closing this financial gap,” Alva said.
The CSU will increase tuition 6% each year for the next five years, beginning this fall semester. For full-time undergraduate students, the first increase will be $342 ($171 per term).
“About 70% of our students receive some form of financial aid. The last thing we want is for any student to say no to college because they don’t know where to turn for help,” Alva said. “With this pledge, we are setting our intentions to support and empower students to reach their full potential.”
Work is underway to increase financial assistance to keep pace with tuition increases. Students eligible for university, state and federal financial aid programs, such as the State University Grant (SUG), Cal Grant and Pell Grants, will also see an increase in aid to cover the tuition increase for the 2024-25 academic year.
“The CSUF Pledge is intended to increase awareness of the support we offer and help more students access available aid,” Alva said. “It also reaffirms our commitment to increasing donor-supported scholarships that can assist students on their academic journeys.”
Expanding Opportunities for Degree Completion
Cal State Fullerton reaffirms our commitment to expand opportunities for students to access financial aid options and services to support their academic journeys. With these seven steps, we pledge to ensure the transformative promise of a college education is possible by making it more affordable to current and future Titans.
- Award to the fullest extent possible Cal Grants, State University Grants (SUG), and Middle-Class Scholarships, to eligible students, by building more awareness on how to apply for federal and state financial aid.
- Create a scholarship hub to increase our scholarship funding and streamline the process to award more scholarships each year.
- Amplify access to Basic Needs Services, which provides comprehensive programs and support, including the expanded Food Pantry, to students who experience hardships that result in food, housing and financial insecurity.
- Close the digital divide — the Center for Equitable Digital Access (CEDA) provides technological resources for all students that range from laptops to MIFIs.
- Support students through our comprehensive financial literacy training, career development, on-campus jobs and resources.
- Grow philanthropic support for student needs and strengthen advocacy efforts for state and federal resources.
- Leverage social media to expand our reach to inform students about on and off-campus resources to make their college education affordable and manageable.