A Student Giving Program, which will benefit many students who are on a strict budget, is being established at CSUS.

The SGP will solicit money not only from students and alumni, but also from administrators, faculty and staff. The program will begin as early as this summer.

“What we’re asking for will benefit students,” said Carol Martin, major gifts officer of the College of Health and Human Services.

She hopes to raise money that can be used for student emergencies, such as hospital expenses or if students need assistance for travel expenses to attend the funeral of a family member.

Shari E. Kawelo, director of development in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, hopes that the money will help support student trips in her department during academic competitions with other universities.

“Private support from alumni, corporations and foundations make the difference between a good education and an excellent education,” Kawelo said.

Similar programs are not new to the CSU system.

According to Martin, only a small percentage of alumni give back to the school. Martin expressed concern that students would be less likely to give to the program with growing economic problems and rising tuition fees.

“We need to rely less on the state,” Martin said.

Martin and Kawelo stressed the importance of thanking scholarship sponsors for their assistance.

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