CSUSB Palm Desert Campus Receives $50K Grant For Needy Students

PALM DESERT, CA — A local foundation awarded $50,000 to the Palm Desert campus of Cal State San Bernardino, to be distributed in the form of grants of up to $1,500 per calendar year to students who demonstrate financial need, the university announced Wednesday.

The funds donated by the Palm Desert-based Auen Foundation will be awarded through an application and interview process.

"We are so grateful to the Auen Foundation for this generous gift, which will help our students immensely," said Jake Zhu, dean of the CSUSB Palm Desert campus. "Many of our students face hardships and short-term financial difficulties during the year, which can affect whether or not they stay in school. The emergency funds donated by the Auen Foundation will make a huge difference by allowing them to stay in school and complete their degree."

Funding will distributed on a case-by-case basis, school officials said. Possible uses may include books and class material expenses, transportation needs, money for household expenses or to pay for childcare.

"The Auen Foundation believes in the importance of higher education in our community, and we have been supporting Cal State San Bernardino's Palm Desert campus and its students since we moved here," said Catharine Reed, senior program officer of the Auen Foundation. "Secondary education is becoming increasingly critical for job security, and we want to support those students in our area who are making a commitment to achieve that goal."

Additional information can be viewed on the campus website at pdc.csusb.edu .

— By City News Service