Scholarships and Financial Aid for School Psychology Students

CSULB is one of the most affordable school psychology programs in the state. Further, students are provided financial aid packages based on their individual needs. Graduate school fees are set by the CSU Board of Trustees each academic year. The current fee structure may be found on the Enrollment Services website. The approximate cost as of Fall 2023 is $21,954 for the entire School Psychology program for California residents (4 semesters at "7 units or more" + 2 semesters of "6 units or less").

There are many options available for financing your graduate education.

CSULB fees are based on students enrolled in either 6 units or less, or enrolling in 7 units or more. Current tuition and fees may be found at the Enrollment Services website. Please reference your program’s website for information about the number of units you will take each term.

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office  serves all students and help meet their educational goals. They work with students and their families to meet the full demonstrated financial need for students who satisfy all deadlines and eligibility requirements.

Phone: 562.985.8403
Hours: 9:00AM-5:00PM
Location: Brotman Hall 123

The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office is the official hub for scholarship information at CSULB. They collect, organize, and distribute information on hundreds of external scholarships as well as administer university scholarships for the campus. Please visit the Scholarships Office website for information on a range of grant and scholarship opportunities.

The College of Education provides scholarships based on academic merit, financial need, personal statement, and faculty recommendations. Students must have been accepted into a major in the College of Education with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and be enrolled for at least 6 units of coursework in the year they receive the scholarship. Applications are typically available in November and are due in early March for the following academic year. Check the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office website for specific details. 

There are many funding opportunities available to students at the CSU, university, college, and program level to assist students in achieving their educational goals.

School Psychology Student Funding

Currently, the School Psychology program has a number of training grants which can cover much of the cost of graduate school. Once applicants are offered admissions to the School Psychology program, they can apply for one or more of the following grant opportunities.

Culturally Responsive Instruction and Intervention in Self-Determination Programs (CRISP)

Training Grant Overview 

Drs. Kelli Sanderson, Kristin Powers and Kerri Knight-Teague have received $1.25 million in funding from the Office of Special Education Programs for a project to train 12 school psychologists and 12 special educators to become highly qualified to provide culturally-competent, evidence-based services through participation in 1.5 years (special education scholars) or 3 years (school psychologist scholars) of intense research-based coursework, community service, school-based fieldwork and conference participation. School psychology and special education scholars will engage in service-learning in a special education classroom.

Overview: School Psychology and Masters in Science in Special Education students will work in pairs to support evidence-based practices in a classroom (first year) and engage in partnerships with parents of special education students and complete a systems-change inclusion project (second year on the project).

Who can apply?

Applicants who have been offered admissions to the School Psychology program can apply. Three school psychology students will begin fall 2024 and commit to 3 years of training on the project. Project participants will be selected by Drs. Sanderson and Powers. Continuation of funding is contingent upon completing the project training commitments. 

How much is the training scholarship?

Scholars will receive $13,530 per year of training (this includes $800 for travel to an annual conference).

Total School Psychology Scholarship = $40,590 per student

Increasing School Psychologists to Implement Robust (InSPIR) Mental Health Services for Diverse Youth (InSPIR Mental Health)  

Training Grant Overview 

Drs. Kerri Knight-Teague, Kristin Powers, and Suzanna So have received $3.9 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education for a project to train a total of 30 school psychologists across a 5-year time period to increase the number of diverse school psychologists who are prepared to address complex mental health concerns for diverse student populations.  

Project scholars will complete the evidence-based, rigorous school psychology program coursework and fieldwork with the addition of intensive mental health training. School-based fieldwork will be completed with one of four partner districts in the Los Angeles County area with the intention of establishing a post-graduate hiring pathway with the district for project scholars. Additionally, the project will provide intensive mental health training that includes: content-focused seminars, extended clinical opportunities in the CSULB Community Clinic for Counseling and Educational Services (CCCES) supervised by project staff and staff from the Long Beach Trauma Recovery Center, and National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) conference participation. Partner districts’ site supervisors/school psychologists will also attend select seminars to form a learning community with a goal to increase inclusive mental health supports for diverse youth.  

Overview: Project scholars will attend regular seminars that take place during fall and spring semesters for the duration of their 3-year training. During years 1 and 2, project scholars will complete a specialized 6-week summer clinic offering mental health intervention to youth (during May and June) in the CCCES. Complete program required fieldwork at one of four partner districts (i.e., 300 hour practica and 1200 hour internship will be completed at partner sites) with a specialized focus on implementing multi-tiered system of supports for mental health.   

Who can apply? 

Applicants who have been offered admissions to the School Psychology program can apply. Ten school psychology students will begin fall 2024 and commit to 3 years of training on the project. Project participants will be selected by Drs. Knight, Powers, and So. Continuation of funding is contingent upon completing the project training commitments. 

How much is the training scholarship? 

Scholars will receive $16,000 ($21,000 for out-of-state) per year of training (this includes $2,000 for travel to an annual conference and $4,000 for the summer clinic).  

Total scholarship over three years = $48,000 to $63,000 per student 

The Golden State Teacher Grant (GSTG) Program awards up to $20,000 to students currently enrolled in a professional preparation program approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) and working towards earning their preliminary teaching or pupil personnel services credential. 

Visit the GSTG website for complete information about this grant opportunity. 

Students in eligible programs receive an email invitation from the Graduate Studies Office in the Summer inviting them to apply.

The CSULB Graduate Center provides a list of funding for research and pre-doctoral study.

The CSULB Graduate Center provides a list of funding for graduate student travel. Typically, students must be presenting their research in order to receive funding.

Our students are competitive for multiple financial awards during their studies. Following are some of the scholarships, assistantships, fellowships, and grants our students have qualified for.

  • Graduate Research Fellowship ($9,000)
  • State University Grant (See CSU Website- State University Grant (SUG) Program)
  • Federal OSEP MTSS Training Grant ($10,000/yr for 3 years)
  • Federal OSEP Transition Training Grant (13,000/yr for 3 years, admitted 2017 only)
  • Summer Student Research Assistantship ($5,200)
  • Hispanic Opportunities for Graduate Access and Retention (HOGAR) Grant ($5,000)
  • College of Education Scholarship ($2,500)
  • Mary Lee Latta Chambers Scholarship ($2,200)
  • Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies Travel Grant ($600)
  • College of Education Student Conference Travel Grant ($500)
  • Associated Students Inc. Travel Grant ($500)