Crafton Hills College Foundation to Cover Application Fees for Roadrunners Transferring to Four-Year Institutions

Publish Date: April 6, 2023

Crafton Hills College students will now have one less thing to worry about when applying to a four-year university or college: application fees.

The Crafton Hills College Foundation announced that it will now provide students fee waivers to cover expenses associated with the application process, which helps open the doors a bit wider for Roadrunners to reach their fullest potential, officials say.

According to a 2022 California State Assembly report, 20 percent of community college students are homeless or close to being homeless, while 1 in 3 are food insecure. And with costs of attending four-year universities continuing to skyrocket, students often put a pause on their educational endeavors altogether or apply to only a small number of their dream schools.

The Foundation and Crafton leaders hope to change that.

“Seventy dollars is a lot to pay [per application], and if a student applies to three colleges, that is $270 they have to pay out-of-pocket, which is a lot,” said Mariana Macamay,  CHC Transfer Center coordinator. “When our students limit themselves to the universities they are applying to due to costs, they are limiting themselves.”

Students can apply for fee waivers through Macamay’s office by submitting receipts for paid application fees. From there, the Foundation receives paperwork and receipts from the office to prepare reimbursements. There are a few requirements to receive waiver funding: students must have a 2.5 GPA or higher and must attend an application workshop. That’s it.

Since its inception, the CHC Foundation’s mission has been to support its campus population through scholarships, grants, and other funding sources that extend educational opportunities for all CHC students. This is done through year-round fundraising efforts, including the Foundation’s annual Night Out Fundraiser/Gala, and donations from community members and organizations.

Macamay said she pitched the fee waiver idea to the Foundation years ago, and the nonprofit answered the call by making it a Gala item event guests could back with their contributions. The initial donation to support the effort was made after a Foundation donor spoke with a student at a scholarship reception and learned the Roadrunner had applied to only one  four-year school because application fees were so “hefty,” said Michelle Riggs, Crafton’s director of instructional advancement. “The donor didn’t want students to be so limited in their futures and invested funds to open doors for future students,” she said.

Since 2015, the Foundation has supported more than 250 students with application fee waivers, which has encouraged students to “dream bigger,” said both women. “This investment changes lives, and we are so grateful to be able to assist students in applying for transfer institutions that they have never been able to,” Riggs continued. Said Macamay, “I’ve seen several of our students limit themselves, and what we’re trying to say is ‘don’t.’ Where do you want to see yourself if money weren’t an issue?”

For those looking to help increase funding available, donors can contact Riggs by email at mriggs@craftonhills.edu or by phone at 909-389-3391 to learn more. Guests can view more of the Foundation’s work or donate directly at www.craftonhills.edu/visitors-and-alumni/giving-to-chc/index.php.