As the U.S.'s largest four-year public university system, the California State University has the unique privilege and responsibility to prepare a large and diverse group of students to be changemakers in their school, work and community.
While the university relies on various funding sources to ensure its students have the support they need to persist to graduation, federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education, in particular, supports several key programs uplifting CSU students. During the 2023-24 academic year, federal aid provided $2.3 billion in funding that benefited 282,445 CSU students. Despite recent news regarding the agency, it has committed to maintaining federal student aid funds—and the CSU is currently not seeing any major interruption to that funding.
Learn about some of the federally funded programs that support CSU students.
Pell Grant
Nearly half of CSU undergraduate students qualify for the
Federal Pell Grant, which is financial aid awarded to students who demonstrate significant financial need on their
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The grant does not need to be paid back and can help students cover the cost of tuition, fees and personal expenses. For the 2023-24 academic year, 207,158 CSU students received the Pell Grant—a total of more than $1 billion in grants that empowered students to pursue a life-changing education.
Some students also received the Summer Pell, which provides an additional semester of funding if the student already received the Pell Grant for the previous academic year. In 2023-24, this grant supplied an additional $43.2 million in funding to 22,853 CSU students.
Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant
Similarly,
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) benefit students who show significant financial need on the FAFSA. The Department of Education allocates the FSEOG to eligible institutions—including the CSU—which then directly award the funds to students with the greatest need. The grants range from $100 to $4,000. More than 40,000 CSU students received a total of $24.2 million from the FSEOG during the 2023-24 academic year.
Work-Study
The
Federal Work-Study program provides the dual benefit of allowing students to earn money to help pay for expenses while gaining valuable work experience. The program particularly emphasizes connecting students with jobs in community service and related to their course of study. Students who hold a federal work-study position will earn at least the federal minimum wage, though the pay could be more depending on the type of work. The total award also depends on several other factors, such as the availability of funding, the student's level of need and performing the required work. CSU students earned a total of nearly $25 million through Federal Work-Study during the 2023-24 academic year.
TRIO Programs
To support students from underserved backgrounds, the eight Federal TRIO Programs provide outreach and student services targeted at helping low-income students, first-generation students and students with disabilities persist in their education from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs. Through TRIO, the Department of Education grants funds to institutions, enabling them to develop and manage TRIO programs for their students.
One TRIO program at the CSU that provides significant support for the university's students is the McNair Scholars Program, which prepares undergraduate students for Ph.D. programs through research, mentorship and workshops to increase diversity in Ph.D. programs and higher education faculty.
Beyond these programs, the Department of Education also provides funds through a number of other initiatives that support the CSU, such as the Hispanic-Serving Institutions designation, the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions designation, the College Assistance Migrant Program and the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program, which helps fund on-campus childcare services.
See the latest
CSU federal updates, including news about the U.S. Department of Education, guidance on international travel and resources for undocumented students.