With tuition hikes on the horizon, California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) President Vanya Quiñones assured students that she had doubled the money for scholarships at a town hall held on campus Wednesday afternoon.
Students were able to speak to Quiñones, Director of Financial Aid Ashlie McCallon and Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, Ben Corpus.
Around 40 students and administrators showed up, many of the students from AS.
The overarching theme of the meeting was the recent tuition increase and how it will affect students. McCallon told students to utilize resources such as financial aid, Pell grants and scholarships.
Students had a mix of emotions when addressing Quiñones. Some were angry about Quiñones not speaking up at the Board of Trustees meeting; others were crying because they knew their siblings would not be able to have the same opportunities due to the tuition increase.
One student cried giving the example of having to encourage her younger mentees to pursue trade school, because college was no longer affordable to them and their parents.
Some students voiced being confused about their options, having been denied scholarships and not qualifying for financial aid.
Many students also said that scholarships did not cover the real cost of attending CSUMB.
Quiñones assured students that she had doubled the money for scholarships from $7.7 million to $14 million, as well as finding money through donors to alleviate the financial burden put on students.
There are resources available for students, but they need to reach out so that CSUMB knows who is in need of such resources.
Follow this story, and read more about it in next week’s issue of the Lutrinae.