Cal State student government creates $75,000 social justice scholarship fund

Student government members at California State University, Northridge earmarked tens of thousands of dollars for a social justice scholarship fund.

The Daily Sundial — CSUN’s student newspaper — reported that the Associated Students of CSUN Vice President Deion Turner led a charge to approve funding for social justice scholarship funds, which will be granted to students who continue to show leadership within their communities, despite being in financial need themselves.”

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Turner told Campus Reform that the Associated Students partnered with the University Student Union at CSUN, and the CSUN Foundation with “hopes to provide support and recognition to those who have done exemplary work in the social justice field in their communities and on campus.”

Turner explained that the Associated Students Senate “approved $35,000 to open the endowment,” while the University Student Union approved “$40,000 for the endowment.”

The fund will sponsor three $1,000 scholarships per school year.

“Pending confirmation and approval by the CSUN Foundation, we are hoping to be able to have the opportunity to award more scholarships based off of their total donation amount,” added Turner. “As of now, our plan is to award an incoming freshman, one lower division student and one upper division student (including graduate). We are consistently having conversations about this initiative and I am willing to provide as many updates as I can as needed.”

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Turner also provided Campus Reform with a copy of the finance request approved by the student government.

The request states that the funds will aid students who “have been active in social justice work throughout their high school careers and their college careers.” Students must “demonstrate an area of need in order to qualify for this particular scholarship and must submit an essay to a committee that will include members from the Associated Students and the University Student Union.”

CSUN Director of Media Relations Carmen Ramos Chandler told Campus Reform that the university is “committed to creating an inclusive environment for all students and a more just world.”

“Growing from those values, the university’s Associated Students, University Student Union and Foundation are collaborating on the formation of a scholarship program designed to further enhance equity and inclusion on our campus,” she added. “Planning discussions include funding from each organization as well as external fundraising efforts.”

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @BenZeisloft