Financial Aid Updates
Financing a College Education - Important Information for Students, Parents, and Counselors

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Given the overall state of the economy, the state's budget situation, and recent increases in student fees, it is to be expected that students and their parents will be increasingly concerned with college costs and how they will meet those costs. While not minimizing the impact of recent increases in student fees, 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

For budgetary purposes, 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.)

This 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.

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 26 percent of the average cost of education for CSU students, the state subsidy provided for each full-time equivalent student still represents approximately 69 percent, an average of $7,435 for 2003-04.

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 and tuition 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 and tuition 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 2003-04 cost allowances for California resident undergraduate students. The allowances are for the 9-month academic year.

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 costs 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 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.

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 2002-03, approximately 202,000 students at the CSU received some form of student financial aid. This represents almost half of the 414,000 students enrolled at the CSU. Financial aid from all sources totaled $1.3 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 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 the students with the least ability to meet educational costs. For 2003-04, funding for the State University Grant program was increase by over $76 million in an effort to minimize the impact of the fee increase on needy students.

Help Students and Families Prepare for Filing for Financial Aid

While the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2004-05 cannot be filed until January 1, 2004, there are steps that you can take now to help students and their families prepare for the often critical financial aid application process.

2004-05 Financial Aid/Scholarship Application Planning Steps