More than $12.2 million in new federal funding will benefit California State University (CSU) projects, thanks to members of Congress and the work of CSU advocates. The congressionally directed funding was part of a “minibus" package of fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills signed into law by President Biden on March 8.
Funded projects and their sponsors include:
- $5 million for Titan Gateway Bridge at Cal State Fullerton | Rep. Michelle Steel (CA-45)
- $3.4 million for capital improvements for the Child Development Center at Cal State Long Beach | Rep. Robert Garcia (CA-42)
- $963,000 for the California Regenerative Aquaculture Hub at CSUN | Rep. Brad Sherman (CA-32)
- $963,000 for the Strength United's Domestic Violence Community Policing and Advocacy Project at CSUN | Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA-29)
- $963,000 for the Tech and Workforce Hub Project at Cal State San Bernardino | Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33)
- $963,000 for the Transmission Electron Microscope at San Diego State University | Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51)
"This visionary funding package is a wonderful example of how, with the support of our California congressional delegation, we can develop innovative and effective programs that benefit not only our students, but also our campus communities and our state," said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “We are grateful and deeply appreciative of the trust these members of Congress place in the CSU, as well as their partnership in helping advance our mission of elevating lives through the transformative power of higher education."
Building congressional support for CSU priorities is a top goal of the CSU's Office of Federal Relations, which serves as a resource to Washington-based policymakers, including the California congressional delegation, as well as to D.C.-based educational associations.
The CSU's federal policy priorities focus on improving college access and timely completion through student financial aid including enhancing the Pell Grant program and fostering degree completion for California's diverse population including supporting federal policies that assist Dreamers.
For example, in 2021-22, CSU students and their families benefited from more than $1.8 billion in federal financial assistance through Pell Grant awards, Work Study funds and student loans.
About the California State University
The California State University is the nation's largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are people of color, and nearly one-third of them are first-generation college students. Because the CSU's 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom.