California State University, Channel Islands, officials hope to award thousands of dollars in scholarships to students through a new scholarship program this spring.

The general scholarship program could provide between 50 and 100 $1,000 scholarships to CSUCI students for the 2004-2005 school year, said Marti DeLaO, assistant director of development at CSUCI. Money for the scholarships comes from donations to the university's foundation.

The money could be a boon for CSUCI students, who are facing another fee increase under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2004-2005 budget proposal.

The scholarship program will be the first for CSUCI. The program will provide scholarships annually to new and returning students based on their merit and financial need.

"It is a milestone," said university President Richard Rush. "This is just the beginning. We're hoping to offer more dollars, and larger amounts, in the future."

Rush said the scholarships allow the school to recognize academic merit, extracurricular activities and leadership abilities, as well as help students who are in financial need. The scholarships also can be an enticement to draw students to the new campus.

"They serve as a basis for attracting students to the campus," Rush said. "Attracting scholarship support is one of our priorities."

Fund raising for scholarships began even before the university opened in 2002. Since the school began accepting donations, more than $15 million has been raised. Of that, about $6.4 million, or 42 percent, has been earmarked for scholarships, DeLaO said.

Much of the scholarship money will come from interest generated by donations for endowed scholarships, DeLaO said. The remaining money comes from annual fund raising by the foundation. The foundation now has enough money, and enough students, to launch the scholarship program.

"We hope to raise money each year for scholarships and give it away each year," DeLaO said. "When you're a start-up, scholarships are always a need. Even if other priorities emerge, that's always going to be one."

Mark Lisagor, chairman of the foundation board, said foundation members have made scholarships a priority in fund raising. This is the first time the foundation has been in a position to award the money.

"Over the last two or three years, the emphasis has been on letting the public know there is a need for financial support for students at Channel Islands," he said. "So many of these students are only able to be there with a significant amount of financial aid, and this is part of it."

More than half of CSUCI's students applied for some kind of financial aid this year, said Nick Pencoff, financial aid director. Eligible students can get federal and state grants and student loans, he said, and the scholarships can help reduce the amount students need to borrow.

"One thousand dollars will just about cover the cost of books for a year," Pencoff said. "It covers not quite half of a student's enrollment fees. That, coupled with other financial aid, really makes it possible for a student to afford an education at a public university."

The exact number of scholarships won't be determined until the end of the fiscal year, June 30, DeLaO said. That's when school officials will know how much interest has been generated from the endowed funds.

Current students, transfer students and incoming freshmen are eligible to apply for the scholarships. Applications are available on the university's Web site, http://www.csuci.edu. The deadline is April 9.