CSUMB’s Otter Promise pays student tuition and fees

By Mark Muckenfuss

As part of a continuing effort to make higher education more accessible, Cal State Monterey Bay has launched the Otter Promise program. 

Under the program, qualifying students will receive full financial support for tuition and mandatory fees. First-year students will be covered for four years, while transfer students will be covered for two.. The program will begin benefitting students at the start of the fall semester.  

“We believe cost should not be the reason you stop short of a CSU education,” said Elizabeth Rountree, associate vice president of Enrollment Management. “Students who submitted the Otter Promise Confirmation Form, completed the FAFSA or CADAA by March 2, and met eligibility requirements will receive a financial aid package from CSUMB that fully covers tuition and mandatory fees.”

Rountree said over 85 percent of CSUMB students already receive some form of financial aid. But not everyone knows such support exists.

“We found that many students, including high school counselors, teachers and staff, underestimate how much financial aid is available,” she said. “For students who are ready for a four-year university, CSUMB can be just as affordable as starting at a community college, especially with the support available through financial aid and programs like the Otter Promise.”

Rountree said it’s unknown how much the program will cost since financial aid for fall is still being awarded. Students first need to submit a FAFSA form to see what federal aid would be available to them. 

So far, she said, about half of CSUMB's accepted students who submitted a FAFSA would qualify for the Otter Promise program.