Graduation Initiative Grant

By Shamce Ahmad |Staff Writer|

To assist students in their efforts to graduate sooner and increase graduation rates, CSUSB will be offering funding through a brand-new, specially created $1 million grant that will pay for up to 12 units of summer tuition for eligible seniors this summer.

The CSUSB Graduation Initiative Grant (GIG) was created in response to the California State University’s (CSU) Graduation Initiative 2025, which is the CSU’s plan to increase the rates of graduation across its entire system.

“We are committed to working with our students, especially our seniors, to help them graduate sooner and in a timely basis,” said university President Tomas D. Morales. “This grant will ultimately save them thousands of dollars and reduce their student debt.”

The CSUSB College of Education and Learning (CEL) will be leading the new initiative. CEL Dean Tatiana Karmanova mentioned that more than 1,500 students will be eligible to receive the grant in 2017.

“In addition to offering financial incentives, we have worked with campus departments to increase the number of sections offered for high-demand and impacted classes,” Karmanova said.

Impacted classes have been a source of frustration for many individuals among the school’s population of over 20,000 students.

“Taking courses in the summer benefit everyone. Students can stay on track with graduation goals, and there are more seats available for incoming students in the fall,” added Karmanova. “The completion of their degree also benefits our local community as CSUSB prepares students to enter the workplace.”

To qualify for the GIG, students must fulfill three requirements. The first of which is that the student must have filed a graduation check for summer or fall of 2017.

To do this, students must request a graduation requirement check through the Office of the Registrar, in UH 171, before the end of the term of their expected graduation.

The second requirement is that the student must demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and a minimum GPA of 2.0.

The third requirement is that students must sign a contract and program plan to take only those courses that count toward graduation during summer 2017.

When asked about the program, student Jacob Altochu said that he is ecstatic that the program has been introduced.

“I love that the school is actually realizing that summer school needs more attention,” added Altochu. “To help seniors get over that last hump is something that is going to help greatly.”

Altochu, who is currently a junior, is hoping that the program stays in effect until he is in such a situation as well.

Fellow student Kelvin Brooks, senior, also voiced his pleasure about the new program. “The more financial aid that we can get, the better,” said Brooks.

The GIG seems to have created a fantastic opportunity for seniors to achieve their goals in a timely manner that could be a boom to summer school attendance rates for years to come.