Support for Students
Cal State Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV’s student equity programs are designed to retain and support low-income, first-generation, historically underrepresented, and underserved student populations on their path to graduation.
Programs include those focused on specific affinity groups, such as the Asian Pacific American Student Success Program, GANAS Program, the Renaissance Scholars Program, the SANKOFA Program, EOP, and Veteran Student Services.
In addition to the specific programs provided by Student Equity and Success, SEAS students also have access to a computer lab, a community room where “Study Jams” are held once a month, and a loaner library where students can check out books for the semester at no charge.
supports students as they discover their interests, explore career opportunities, and prepare for their future. Whether students are looking for guidance, building professional confidence, or seeking hands-on experience, the Center provides the support and encouragement they need to grow both personally and professionally.
By supporting the continued mission of the Career Empowerment Center, we help ensure students have access to opportunities that foster growth, exploration, and career readiness. These experiences empower students to build confidence, gain valuable insight, and take meaningful steps toward achieving their goals.
Cal State Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV’s Renaissance Scholars Program began in 2006 with around 20 students and focused on advising and counseling. Today, close to 50 students are actively involved in the program, which has provided more then $55,000 in scholarships and emergency funding.
The major goals of the program include increasing educational opportunities for former foster youth, improving the retention and graduation rates of program participants, and creating a supportive environment that encourages academic success.
In addition to scholarships, the Renaissance Scholars program offers students priority placement in on-campus housing and an amended payment plan, so they do not have to pay as many fees upfront. Students are allowed to stay on campus during school breaks and often receive food and other household items to help them transition to independent living. A textbook lending program assists with securing learning materials, and students receive priority registration and regular check-ins with academic counselors to ensure they’re on track toward graduation.
Pioneers for H.O.P.E. (Helping Our Pioneers Excel) is Cal State Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV’s intervention program that addresses students’ food and housing security. It was founded at Cal State Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV after a California State University systemwide study found that up to 24 percent of students within the CSU system experience food insecurity, and up to 12 percent experience displacement.
At Cal State Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV, that could mean as many as 3,805 students experience food insecurity, and 1,902 experience homelessness, but given the high cost of housing in the San Francisco Bay Area, it’s possible even more students are struggling to meet their basic needs.
Pioneers for H.O.P.E. aims to provide these students with meals, temporary housing assistance, emergency funds, and referrals to resources that support student success, health, and wellness.
Students regularly visit the three pantries located at the Hayward and Concord campuses to access food and personal hygiene products. Faculty and staff support drives for items such as shampoo and other toiletries. And students living in the dorms consistently donate their unused meal swipes to feed their hungry peers.
In spring of 2022, Cal State Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV opened four new affinity student success centers for students who identify as Black, Latinx, undocumented, and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI). These are spaces on campus where students can make meaningful connections with their peers and find the resources they need to be successful. Finding a sense of community at college is closely tied with higher graduation rates, and the affinity student success centers facilitate that. The centers also bring the many wraparound resources that the university offers, such as counseling and financial aid, to students in a place where they feel comfortable.
