The economic downturn has upended the lives of countless Americans, and the families of San Diego State University are no exception. While many struggle to pay the bills, the state is slashing higher education budgets and the cost of attending college continues to rise.

Students face a financial conundrum – they need financial assistance more than ever, but there is less scholarship money available from California’s universities.

So, SDSU is going public with an appeal for funds –called FuelPotential – to finance student scholarships.

“It’s all about potential,” said Mary Ruth Carleton, vice president for University Relations and Development at SDSU.  “Without financial support, many students will be unable to pursue higher education, and the potential contributions of these incredibly bright minds may be lost forever.”

Scholarship applications at SDSU have doubled over the past five years. Last year, 11,200 students applied for a scholarship, but only 2,540 scholarships were awarded.

This year’s 4,089 first-time freshmen, scheduled to begin classes at SDSU on Monday, Aug. 31, will be hard hit by the economic squeeze. The incoming class is one of the most diverse – ethnically and economically – in SDSU history and one of the most academically impressive, with an average 3.46 high school grade point average.  

But their financial needs are not any less severe. More than half of SDSU’s students rely on some kind of financial aid and that number is steadily increasing, according to SDSU’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.  

“Every dollar invested in scholarships makes a critical difference to our students by enabling access and preparing leaders for tomorrow,” Carleton said.

The tools they need

For Laci Virgilio, the scholarship she received as a freshman at SDSU made all the difference in the world.
                    
“Without scholarship support, I would not have done nearly as well in my classes,” said Virgilio. “If I’d had to balance work and a full class load, I think eventually I would drop out.  I’d much rather put all my effort into studying and learning than dividing my time between work and school.”

Now a computer engineering major, Virgilio is amassing the skills, knowledge and confidence to pursue a graduate degree and an engineering career.
 
Virgilio grew up in the foster youth system and receives about $1,500 each semester in scholarships from both the Guardian Scholars program and the Conrad Hilton Foundation through the Educational Opportunity Program.  

While the federal financial aid pays her tuition, the scholarships fund books, supplies, transportation to and from campus, and this year, a laptop computer.

“These are the tools you need to be a successful student,” Virgilio said.  “If I didn’t have them, my grades would definitely suffer.”

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