California State University, Fullerton
PAE-10: Affordability and Access Programs

CSUF participates in four TRIO programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education to assist disadvantaged students in reaching their educational goals. Upward Bound The Upward Bound Program is a federally funded, comprehensive educational program designed to assist low-income and first-generation students to acquire the skills, motivation, and preparation to enter and succeed in a program of post-secondary education. Students are selected from Century, Saddleback, Santa Ana and Valley high schools, all in the Santa Ana Unified School District. Participants receive program services starting in their freshman year and extending through to the end of their senior year in high school. All students participate in academic preparation and enrichment activities throughout the year. Talent Search The Educational Talent Search program is federally funded and designed to identify and assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The Educational Talent Search program provides students with year-round services such as: academic advising, career counseling, financial aid awareness and post-secondary planning and selection. The program’s central goal is to ensure that participants graduate from high school and continue on to a post-secondary institution of their choice. CSUF’s Educational Talent Search Program participants are selected from four high schools in the Anaheim Unified High School District: Anaheim, Katella, Magnolia and Savanna. McNair Scholars Program This program encourages students to pursue graduate studies by providing opportunities to define goals, engage in research, and develop the skills and student/faculty mentor relationships critical to success at the doctoral level. The McNair Scholars Program serves twenty-five students each year. All students participate in academic-year and summer activities until they graduate. Director: Mr. Gerald Bryant. http://www.fullerton.edu/mcnair/index.htm Student Support Services Program (SSS) SSS targets low income and first generation and disabled college students, and provides them with educational services to ensure that they graduate, and then continue their education at the post-secondary level. The objective of the program is to increase the retention and graduation rates of all participants and to foster an institutional climate that is supportive of under-represented students.

Office of Financial Aid The staff in the Office of Financial Aid CSUF is committed to providing the student with the services and funds that are needed to achieve their educational goals. Our Mission is to remove the financial barriers to a student’s education so that the student may enroll and complete his/her degree objectives. As financial aid professionals, we provide opportunities to learn, we ensure access to higher education, we promote the student’s economic stability, and through our compliance with regulations, which govern the administration of financial aid programs, we ensure continuity in the delivery of state, federal, and institutional student aid funds to the University. Financial aid is available to remove the cost barriers that may prevent you from pursuing your educational goals. Assistance is available from a variety of programs funded by federal, state, university and private sources. Students who demonstrate significant financial need may qualify for grant aid while students with less need may obtain low cost loans. Financial need is determined through a federal formula that assesses the family’s relative financial strength and ability to contribute to meeting the student’s educational costs. There are 3 general categories of financial aid: Grants and scholarships; Loans; and Employment opportunities. To receive financial aid from a CSU campus, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Eligibility for financial aid is the amount that remains after the student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is subtracted from the cost of education. The cost of education is the amount the University estimates the student will spend to attend college for the academic year. The cost of education includes the basic State University Fee, various campus-based fees, room and board, books, supplies, transportation and miscellaneous personal expenses. CSUF, through Titan Shops, provides course material savings to students in a variety of ways. Student savings are achieved with used, digital, rental textbook programs. These programs lower the cost of course materials to students by $1M annually. In addition, Titan Shops provides students the opportunity to sell back textbooks at the end of term through a buyback program. Funded by the CSU, the Graduate Equity Program seeks to increase the diversity of students completing graduate degree programs, encourage further study in doctoral programs and promote consideration of university faculty careers. It provides fellowships to economically disadvantaged CSUF students who have overcome educational disadvantages or hardships. The fellowships are intended to minimize students' debt burden, allowing them to complete their program more quickly and commence doctoral study. More information is available at: http://www.fullerton.edu/graduate/scholarships.html Several programs or services are available that minimize the cost of attendance by reducing associated costs of living, reducing student-related expenses, or increasing student employment through Associated Students, Inc., Student Health and Counseling Center, the Children’s Center, Student Organizations, Student Employment Program, Pollack Library, and academic colleges and departments.

Titan Shops offers a Textbook Requisition Reward program to campus departments. The program is designed to promote awareness and encourage faculty and departments to submit textbook requisitions to the University by a campus determined deadline to ensure that students are better informed and able to source materials openly. CSUF makes professional development for staff and faculty available through several avenues including, but not limited to, The Faculty Development Center (FDC) and the Division of Administration's University Business Institute (UBI). The professional development programs equip faculty and staff to better serve all students, including those from low-income backgrounds.

In addition to the TRIO programs mentioned above, some of CSUF’s activities that directly or indirectly prepare students from low-income backgrounds for higher education include, but are not limited to: Educational Opportunity Program CSUF collaborates with the State of California to provide financial and academic support to students though the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Each year, EOP admits a new class of 500 individuals—first time freshman and transfer students. Each of the participants enters the university with limited financial resources, but the desire to overcome all obstacles. Most importantly, however, every new participant understands that the highest achievement comes as a result of strong partnerships. Through your partnership with EOP, you will be equipped with the academic and personal tools to realize your educational goals. CSUF admits students to EOP, whose families are challenged by economic barriers and who need admissions and/or counseling services to succeed in college. EOP provides access to higher education for those students who demonstrate potential and who, without EOP support, may be unable to earn a college degree. EOP at CSUF offers pre-admission counseling, admission assistance, referrals for tutorial learning, career guidance, financial aid advisement, and other student services. GEAR UP-Anaheim GEAR UP-Anaheim is an educational partnership between Cal State Fullerton and the Anaheim Union High School District. The mission of the program is to significantly increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education. The GEAR UP Anaheim project serves a cohort of students that began in the 7th grade at Sycamore and South Junior High Schools and are currently supported at Anaheim, Katella and Loara High School, until their expected graduation in June 2014. Through GEAR UP students are provided with comprehensive services and activities to ensure their educational success, including tutoring, academic counseling, workshops, summer programs, educational and cultural enrichment activities, college tours, career exploration, parent outreach, and professional development for target school math and English teachers. Graduate Equity Program Funded by the CSU, the Graduate Equity Program seeks to increase the diversity of students completing graduate degree programs, encourage further study in doctoral programs and promote consideration of university faculty careers. It provides fellowships to economically disadvantaged CSUF students who have overcome educational disadvantages or hardships. The fellowships are intended to minimize students' debt burden, allowing them to complete their program more quickly and commence doctoral study. Santa Ana ¡Adelante! is a community-based partnership between CSUF, UC Irvine, Santa Ana College, and Santa Ana Unified School District. It exists with the goal of creating a college graduate in each Santa Ana household. The Santa Ana partnership includes representatives from all of the above institutions as well as from key partner community agencies. The partnership exists to provide large scale high school counselor training, to promote University involvement in key school-wide college prep activities, and to marshal resources from all partners into the collective effort of promoting higher education options to Santa Ana high school students. More information can be found at: http://www.sausd.k12.ca.us/domain/40 Titan Choices is a partnership between select local area high schools and CSUF Outreach in which CSUF interns are placed in the schools to promote college-going cultures within the schools, to foster relationships between the schools and CSUF, and to facilitate the CSUF application process for high school students at the schools. Super Sunday/Super Saturday is a CSU system-wide effort to partner with the African American community through church-based activity. More information can be found at: http://www.calstate.edu/supersunday/ The Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Journey to Success Program is a CSU system-wide effort to partner with and bring representatives from various AAPI communities to local area CSU campuses for participation in college preparatory activity. In each area, programs are planned in conjunction w/ key community-based partner organizations. More information can be found at: http://www.calstate.edu/externalrelations/partnerships/journeytosuccess.shtml

CSUF offers a number of scholarships available to new and returning students. In addition to scholastic achievement, financial need and other factors may be considered in the selection process. Many of the special scholarships listed below were established to increase college participation of underrepresented and disadvantaged students. The full listing of scholarships and criteria can be found at: http://www.fullerton.edu/financialaid/scholar/scholarship.pdf Titan Shops provides scholarships through several avenues. The Textbook Requisition Reward program provides funds to departments to be used for student scholarships within the department. Additionally, the program provides funds to Associated Students Inc. (ASI) for a variety of scholarships (www.asi.fullerton.edu/services/scholarships.asp). Titan Shops also partners with ASI to provide free textbook rental scholarships to students each semester. EPOCHS, Enhancing Post-baccalaureate Opportunities at CSUF for Hispanic Students, is a federal grant awarded to the Office of Graduate Studies by the U.S. Department of Education, whose purpose is to support achievement among disadvantaged post-baccalaureate students. As part of EPOCHS, Grant money is awarded for activities associated with CSUF graduate student degree program research, and for travel associated with CSUF graduate student degree program studies. Priority will be given to disadvantaged students. More information is available at: http://www.fullerton.edu/graduate/scholarships.html

CSUF has been an active participant in PIQE which is a parent-based training, College, Making it Happen which is designed to assist the parents of middle school students with college preparatory strategies, and through participation in numerous locally high school-sponsored financial aid workshops throughout the region.

In addition to the programs mentioned above, CSUF selects which local area (and out of area) schools/projects with whom to partner for targeted outreach based in no small part on school demographics. Schools with high free and reduced lunch participation rates, high rates of diversity, and lower API rates tend to be the highest priority partners.

The CSU system is largely a meritocracy, and since CSUF is an impacted campus, students must meet higher than minimum eligibility in order to be admitted. Even with EOP, students who are admitted through special action tend to be fully admissible, but below the admissions cutoff.