Financial Aid Updates
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Financing a College Education - Important Information for Students, Parents, and Counselors
Given the overall state of the economy, the state's budget situation, and recent increases in student fees, it is to be expected that many students and their parents may be increasingly concerned with college costs and how they will meet those costs. The California State University (CSU) is committed to continuing to provide access to a quality postsecondary education and advising students and their families that college is affordable.
The Cost of Education in the CSU
The total cost of education in the CSU is defined as the expenditures for current operations, including student financial aid, and all fully reimbursed programs contained in state appropriations with the exception of capital outlay appropriations and lottery fund.
The average cost of education is obtained by dividing the total cost by the total full-time equivalent students (FTES). A full-time equivalent student is defined as the equivalent of a student taking 15 units per academic term.
The following table reflects the average cost of education and the average student fee support for the last decade and the percentage that student fee support represents of the total cost.
| CSU Average "Cost of Education" and Average Student Fee Support |
 |
| Academic Year |
Total Cost |
Student Fee Support |
Pct. of Total |
|
| 1995-96 |
$9,141 |
$2,065 |
22.6% |
| 1996-97 |
$9,872 |
$2,094 |
21.2% |
| 1997-98 |
$10,198 |
$2,263 |
22.2% |
| 1998-99 |
$10,876 |
$2,208 |
20.3% |
| 1999-00 |
$10,793 |
$2,127 |
19.7% |
| 2000-01 |
$11,176 |
$2,105 |
18.8% |
| 2001-02 |
$11,273 |
$2,138 |
19.0% |
| 2002-03 |
$11,198 |
$2,299 |
20.5% |
| 2003-04 |
$10,975 |
$2,995 |
27.3% |
| 2004-05 (projected) |
$11,591 |
$3,474 |
30.0% |
Click here to see "Average Cost of Education" Chart in pdf format.
While student fees have increased to the extent that they now represent approximately 30 percent of the average cost of education for CSU students, the state subsidy provided for each full-time equivalent student still represents approximately 65 percent, an average of $7,553 per student who enrolls at a CSU campus in 2004-05. The remaining 5 percent is derived from other revenues.
The Cost of Attendance at CSU Campuses
The cost of attendance (COA) that a student will face while attending college will vary depending on the fees charged by the institution, the type of housing available to the student during the academic year, the proximity of the student's housing to the campus, the mode of transportation used to reach campus, and other factors influencing costs in the area where the college is located.
For student financial aid purposes, the cost of attendance includes the fees charged to a student, an allowance for books and supplies, the cost of room and board (or, for students who do not contract with the college, an allowance for food and housing expenses), an allowance for transportation, and an allowance for miscellaneous personal expenses.
CSU campuses develop standard costs of attendance allowances based on data available from student responses to a survey regarding student expenses and from other data regarding local living costs, transportation expenses, and book and supplies expenses. While a student's actual expenses may vary based on individual priorities, obligations, and life-styles, the standard costs of attendance are intended to provide modest but adequate allowances for the expenses associated with attending college.
These allowances are adjusted annually and campuses are able to make adjustments based on documentation of special circumstances and costs such as child-care expenses, costs related to a disability, medical expenses, or the purchase of a computer in order to pursue required coursework and class assignments.
The following table reflects average 2004-05 cost allowances for California resident undergraduate students. The allowances are for the 9-month academic year.
The California State University
Average Undergraduate Cost of Attendance
2004-2005 Academic Year (9 months) |
| Expense Category |
Commuting from Parent's Home |
Living in Campus Housing |
Living Away from Home/Off-Campus |
|
| State University Fee |
2,334 |
2,334 |
2,334 |
| Miscellaneous Fees |
542 |
542 |
542 |
| Books and Supplies |
1,236 |
1,236 |
1,236 |
| Food and Housing |
3,226 |
7,790 |
8,354 |
| Transportation |
963 |
793 |
1,024 |
| Miscellaneous Personal |
2,074 |
1,915 |
2,099 |
| Total Budget |
10,375 |
14,610 |
15,589 |
The 2004-05 State University Fee for students enrolled in postbaccalaureate teacher preparation programs for a Multiple Subject, Single Subject or Special Education credential is $2,706 for students enrolled in more than 6 units and $1,572 for students taking 6 units or less. Students enrolled in graduate programs and other postbaccalaureate or credential programs pay a State University Fee of $2,820 for more than 6 units or $1,638 for 6 units or less.
Students who are not classified as residents of California pay nonresident tuition at
the rate of $339 per semester unit or $226 per quarter unit in addition to the State University Fee and miscellaneous campus-based fees.
Click here to see table of average COST OF ATTENDANCE in pdf format.
Because of significant differences in living costs in areas where CSU campuses are located, there can be substantial differences in the cost of attendance allowances at CSU campuses.
More information about the cost of attendance (COA) at CSU campuses may be found on CSU's website at http://www.calstate.edu/ar/fa_coa.shtml.
This site also includes links to detailed information on CSU student fees as well as information on costs at CSU comparison institutions across the country.
Student Financial Aid Programs Assist With Meeting the Net Cost of Attendance
Students and families who anticipate financial difficulties in meeting the full costs of obtaining a postsecondary education should apply for student financial aid. Almost all students qualify for some form of student aid, although for some students the aid is limited to unsubsidized loans.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) serves as the basic application form for all federal student aid programs, for California's state aid programs, and for many institutional aid programs across the country. All CSU campuses utilize the FAFSA for determining financial aid eligibility and use March 2 as the priority filing date for the FAFSA.
CSU campuses participate in all federal and state student financial aid programs and administer some financial aid programs specific to the CSU and the individual campus. Financial aid offices at each campus have professional staff members to administer these programs and to advise students and their families about financing their education.
During 2003-04, approximately 208,000 students at the CSU received some form of student financial aid. This represents almost half of the students enrolled at the CSU. Financial aid from all sources totaled just over $1.5 billion. The following charts reflect the source of this aid and the form in which the aid was provided.
Click here to see the Grant programs chart in a larger pdf format.
The grant programs that provide the greatest amount of assistance to students enrolling at the CSU are the Federal Pell Grant program, the state's Cal Grant programs, and the CSU's own State University Grant (SUG) program.
The SUG program includes some General Fund Support but is largely made possible by the Board of Trustees' policy over the years of devoting a portion of additional State University Fee revenues derived from fee increase or enrollment growth to financial aid to assist students with the least ability to meet educational costs. For 2004-05, funding for the State University Grant program was increased by over $18 million, in order to provide approximately $209 million in grant support to for financially needy students enrolling at CSU campuses.
Help Students and Families Prepare for Applying for Financial Aid
While the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2005-06 cannot be filed until January 1, 2005, there are steps that you can take now to help students and their families prepare for the often critical process of applying for financial aid.
2005-06 Financial Aid/Scholarship Application Planning Steps
- Encourage students to obtain a Social Security Number if they do not already have one.
www.ssa.gov/ssnumber
- Encourage students (and their parents) to obtain a Personal Identifier Number (PIN) to facilitate on-line filing of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). [See the related information about "PIN Safety" below.]
www.pin.ed.gov
- Seek cooperation from financial aid or outreach staff at your local CSU campus (or another institution in your area) in presenting a workshop on financial aid opportunities and completion of the FAFSA for your students and their families.
- Obtain student/parent authorization to release the required high school Grade Point Average (GPA) to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) so that potentially eligible students may be considered for a Cal Grant Entitlement award.
- Encourage students to investigate deadlines and application requirements for institutional scholarships at each of the postsecondary institutions to which they are applying for admission.
- Encourage students to investigate deadlines and application requirements for scholarships or other aid opportunities offered by local organizations or by other philanthropic agencies and organizations.
- Encourage students and their families to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after January 1, 2005 and by the March 2, 2005 deadline for Cal Grant Entitlement awards. March 2 is also the priority filing date for student aid at all CSU campuses.
- Ensure that your high school provides GPAs for as many high school seniors as possible by the March 2, 2005 deadline for Cal Grant Entitlement awards.
PIN Safety
With increasing concern about identity theft, students and their parents should be cautioned to protect their Social Security Numbers and other personal information including their respective PINs (Personal Identifier Numbers) that are assigned by the U.S. Department of Education for student financial aid purposes and similar identifiers and passwords used by most colleges and universities.
An informational handout developed by the Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Education is available for download at:
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/misused/idtheft.pdf
Additional information is available at:
www.ed.gov/misused.
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