Masters Thesis

California State University Grant-Program Proposal: We Can Do Better

As a Financial Aid Counselor here at California State University Bakersfield, I am a participant in the awarding and disbursing process of the State University Grant. Here at CSUB we awarded over $16,000,000 in funds in 2015/2016, $17,000,000 in 2016/2017, and will award close to $18,000,000 in 2017/2018. This grant plays a significant role in attracting and keeping students here at CSUB by making it financially attainable for those who have no other aid that pays for their tuition fees. Being that over half of our students are potentially impacted by this award, you would agree that it must be handled judiciously and consistently for each, and every student. The Financial Aid Office currently offers the initial SUG awards during an automated mass process that packages awards for all eligible students. This usually happens in early April for the upcoming Fall. SUG is awarded to eligible students who submit their FAFSA by March 02. This continues until our campus’s SUG allocation is spent. Over the next few months, as students begin to decline awards, decide to attend elsewhere, or they receive other aid that covers tuition fees, the campus regains these funds. This is where the inconsistencies in our current process originates. From this point forward, the SUG is awarded manually by our Financial Aid counselors. Some counselors award upon request, some run reports to identify eligible students, and some may not proactively award it at all. As a CSUB student, this means that you may, or may not, receive SUG depending on something as arbitrary as who your Financial Aid counselor is. This study evaluates how CSUB administers the SUG late award program process, then recommends a process which minimizes existing inconsistencies. The proposed process seeks to eliminate perceived unfairness in the existing process. It can only benefit us as a campus to take the time to evaluate our options and improve our program delivery.

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