Why a Public University Needs Private Gifts
For most of its history, Cal State Fullerton was fully supported by the state of California. This ended in the early ‘90s, when the university was expected to raise a portion of its own funding. Currently, state funds cover about 60 percent of the cost of educating nearly 37,000 Cal State Fullerton students. About 30 percent more comes from student fees and other sources. In large part, the remaining funding comes from gifts from alumni and friends of Cal State Fullerton, private foundations and corporations. These additional dollars help support scholarships; professorships and fellowships in all academic disciplines; college programs; research efforts; and building projects.
Without private support, many special programs and academic opportunities wouldn’t exist or would be less than they are. In light of our state’s continued fiscal challenges, the university depends upon its donors more than ever before to help educate tomorrow’s teachers, businesspeople, scientists, artists and other professionals who will make the world a better place for all of us.
