By Davon Dean |Staff Writer|

CSUSB has received nearly $1 million dollars from the United States Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration.

The RSA grant will provide RSA Scholarships which will pay for student tuition. There is an application process to become an RSA Scholar. 

According to the CSUSB Public Affairs, the $1 million dollars grant will be disbursed over a five-year period. 
“The grant’s purpose is to train graduates to work with people with disabilities in becoming more self-sufficient through independent living skills and/or placement into gainful employment.” said Margaret Cooney, principle investigator and project director, and professor in the CSUSB College of Education’s Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation and Counseling.

Cooney also said the grant will not only help students financially but will also help, the number of students who graduate. 

The rehabilitation counseling program is nationally accredited by the Council of Rehabilitation Education.

When I asked Cooney about the program and the benefits of joining the program, she said one of the benefits of having a degree in rehabilitation is that you could work in any state.

“The rehabilitation counseling program also will offer a bilingual rehabilitation counseling experience. The purpose for having a bilingual experience is that there is a demand in the rehabilitation profession for counselors to have the skills to speak and work with Hispanic clients,” stated the rehabilitation counseling program website.

According to Cooney, each student who has been an RSA Scholar will have to repay their scholarship by working in a non-profit community organizations or a state or federal agency. 

If you are interested in knowing more about the Rehabilitation Counseling Program there will be upcoming Information meetings, on March 19 and April 21, from 5p.m. – 6p.m. in the College of Education room 120.

In addition there will be an Information meeting about how to apply for the RSA Scholarships which will pay for tuition and careers in rehabilitation on March 12, from 5p.m. – 5:45p.m. in College of Education room 117. 

Students interested in knowing more about the Rehabilitation Counseling Master’s program may contact Dr.McRynolds at (909) 537-5453 or cmcreyno@csusb.edu. Information regarding the grant may be received by contacting Cooney at (909) 537-5662 or mcooney@csusb.edu.