Recently, I had the fortunate opportunity to address the Committee on Education and Labor of the U.S. House of Representatives on issues related to rising costs, public accountability and equal opportunity at our nation’s colleges and universities. While I was speaking on behalf of public higher education, I was particularly proud to represent California State University, Long Beach, as well as the California State University system, as exemplary examples of successful efforts to provide very affordable university education opportunities of the highest value to students of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
There is no question that a college education has become a determining factor in a young individual’s future, and for most families, the cost of that education is a very real concern. Our university is ranked among the best values in the nation, but how do we compare when our students are looking at affordability as well as quality in an education?
At CSULB, we take great pride in providing high quality educational opportunities at costs that are less than half of the national public university average. We are pleased that we serve so many students who come to us from first generation college families and diverse populations. Currently, approximately one third of our students are Pell Grant eligible and nearly 65 percent are African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic and of other ethnic origins.
In 2007-08, the listed cost of tuition and fees at CSULB is $3,116, while the national public university average climbed over $6,200. We also are very proud of the fact that the average student loan debt upon graduation is $11,063 compared to the national average of $18,126, ranking CSULB’s overall debt load one of the lowest in the nation. Furthermore, only 34 percent of our students graduate carrying a debt load, while the national average stands ile the national average stands at 67 percent.
In a move toward more transparency of information related to college costs and accountability, the Voluntary System of Accountability, or VSA, was jointly launched in November by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. The VSA offers parents, students and taxpayers actual information related to costs, financial aid results, community service participation, standardized test results and other data about specific colleges. CSULB was selected as one of the pilot universities because of our willingness to be used as a successful example in this national project. I invite you to review our campus statistics, which are available at www.csulb.edu. I believe you will be as proud of your university as I am.
Go Beach!
F. King Alexander
President
