Editor’s Note: The writer of this piece is serving as an ambassador for the One CSUSM event and submitted this piece to The Cougar Chronicle to inform our readers about the fundraiser and to encourage them to donate. 

By Altaf Safi

The Cougar community will come together on May 4 for One CSUSM and raise funds to support the several scholarships funds offered at CSUSM like the General Scholarship Fund.

Although CSUSM provided over $1.6 million in student scholarships last year, the cost of student applications and enrollments have exceeded $6 million. This means that there is a need to support the finances of CSUSM students so that they can obtain their degree and graduate on time.

Several students at CSUSM are pursuing their education without the support of their families. Nearly 70 percent of CSUSM students seek support from financial aid departments like FAFSA. Increasing the amount of scholarships to students can help motivate CSUSM students to stay on track for their graduation time and experience the feeling of accomplishment that comes from earning a degree.

Students that are enrolled at CSUSM and are experiencing a financial crisis can receive the General Scholarship funding to support their degree progress. There are students that experience issues ranging from loss of income or the death of a parent to struggling to meet basic daily needs. When individuals donate to scholarship funding programs like the General Scholarship Fund, the donations will reach students that need the most financial assistance to complete their education on time at CSUSM.

The contributions that individuals make for CSUSM students are tax deductible. As a registered 501(c)3, a person can claim a charitable deduction for their gift to the CSUSM foundation. Furthermore, when individuals support CSUSM with a donation, they can take advantage of a one-time opportunity from the CARES Act. The one-time opportunity allows individuals to deduct up to 100 percent of their adjusted gross income on 2021 personal taxes.

Individuals can further understand their tax benefits from contributions by reading the “Temporary Enhancements to Charitable Contributions Deductions in the CARES Act” updated reports as in the following link: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN11420.

Individuals who are interested in creating a new scholarship funding criteria to support students with diverse class groups, circumstances and merit-based accomplishments can contact Nick Burchfield at [email protected].

By supporting One CSUSM, individuals can help fill the gap of unmet need so finances won’t derail a determined student from earning his or her degree. Several scholarship recipients have expressed how much it means to them knowing that someone they have never met wants to see them achieve their goals. 

Individuals who are interested in making a difference by donating to the CSUSM scholarship funds can donate by going to this site: https://give.csusm.edu/OneCSUSM21AltafSafi.

Individuals will receive an official tax receipt via email after making their gift donation online. If individuals have further questions regarding their tax receipt or are having trouble making a gift online, they should contact [email protected].