On March 9 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. California Lutheran University’s, Student Philanthropy Council hosted the sixth annual Tuition Free Day.  Students could take time out of their day to write personal thank you letters to the university’s donors.

Under the direction of Ariel Coates, the annual fund project coordinator and adviser for the philanthropy council, the council members spent their day sitting by the flagpoles and informed students on how life at Cal Lutheran is made possible because of financial donors.

“Tuition free day is basically a day where we, the Student Philanthropy Council, reach out to students and teach them about donor support and how important it is to their education,” Coates said.  “It’s a day to show donor appreciation.”

Donors are made up of alumni, parents, friends, and current students who are willing to give to the Cal Lutheran Annual Fund.  Their support comes in from a variety of ways throughout the year.

“Donors can support in different ways,” Coates said.  “One way is through the phone-a-thon, another way is online through the website, and then we also send direct mail pieces and emails throughout the year.”

The annual fund is the society on campus that monitors the “unrestricted giving” from donors and allocates the money to where the need is greatest. 

The donations go towards support for student research, student clubs, study abroad, and campus technology.  A majority of the money is used for scholarships, for the 95 percent of students who need financial aid in order to attend Cal Lutheran.

“It’s nice knowing that part of the reason why I can go to this school is because of people that I don’t even know, so if writing a thank you card makes them happy it’s the least I can do,” Brooks White Cal Lutheran junior, said.

According to the Financial Aid Office, for traditional undergraduate students the annual tuition amount for a full-time student during the 2015-2016 academic year is $37,980 but is increasing 3.5 percent to $39,310 during the 2016-2017 academic year.

“The increase is determined by the administration of the university.  There are many evaluations and discussions conducted over a significant period of time dedicated to this decision, which is never taken lightly,” Director of Financial Aid Jerry McKeen said.

There are many resources and a variety of scholarships, made possible by donors, that are available to students to use toward tuition cost.

These awards are known as “Cal Lutheran Donor Scholarships.”  “These scholarships can also be used to help pay tuition costs and awards between $500 and $2,500 per year,” McKeen said.

A student can be considered for Cal Lutheran Donor Scholarships by submitting an application on the scholarships page of the financial aid website.

Other opportunities are available for students who need more help paying for tuition.

“CLU academic scholarships, the award provided to students at time of admission are based on academic merit and are the most recognizable scholarships provided to Cal Lutheran students,” McKeen said.  “There are also awards provided for UC students, legacy students, special talents, as well as other factors that the student and their family may meet.”

According to McKeen, “scholarship monies are left unused every year.”  They cannot stress the importance for having students apply for as many scholarships as possible.

Dean Hendrix
Staff Writer
Published March 16th, 2016