CSUSB Palm Desert receives $50K grant to help students in need of emergency funds
California State University, San Bernardino Palm Desert has received a $50,000 grant from the Auen Foundation to help students in need of emergency gap funding.
According to school officials, students who qualify for the grant will receive up to $1,500 each calendar year which can be used for a variety of things including book and class materials, short-term transportation needs, support for household basics in extraordinary circumstances, or temporary childcare resources.
“Many of our students face hardships and short-term financial difficulties during the year, which can affect whether or not they stay in school. The emergency funds donated by the Auen Foundation will make a huge difference by allowing them to stay in school and complete their degree,” said Jake Zhu, dean of CSUSB Palm Desert Campus.
School officials say the funds will be allocated on a case-by-case basis.
“The Auen Foundation believes in the importance of higher education in our community, and we have been supporting Cal State San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus and its students since we moved here,” said Catharine Reed, Senior Program Officer of the Auen Foundation. “Secondary education is becoming increasingly critical for job security, and we want to support those students in our area who are making a commitment to achieve that goal.”
In addition to helping students in need, CSUSB Palm Desert Campus administrators plan to collect additional data to determine consistent obstacles that impede on college students’ successes.
"Understanding how to attract and support additional students in secondary education is a component of how the Auen Foundation gift will further assist the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus," reads a news release by CSUSB Palm Desert.
According to CSUSB, the valley's college attainment rate is less than 30 percent for all adults. The rate is even lower for Hispanic adults, reaching 12 percent despite making up 40 percent of the community.
For more information, visit the campus website, pdc.csusb.edu.
