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Students spend time on the Cal Lutheran campus.
Students spend time on the Cal Lutheran campus. Photo: Brittany App, App’s Photography

Cal Lutheran guarantees UC price-matching

New California students with qualifying GPAs are automatically eligible

California Lutheran University’s Public Price Promise program is now guaranteed for new students from California high schools and colleges who meet GPA requirements. The nearly $30,000 scholarships, which award first-year and transfer students the difference in average cost of attendance between Cal Lutheran and UC undergraduate campuses, offer a private education at a public price.

“We want to become accessible to as many California students as possible,” said Falone Serna, Cal Lutheran dean of admission and outreach. “This scholarship makes us a great option for California students and families who have budgeted for in-state tuition but want the benefits of a private education such as smaller classes and lower faculty-to-student ratios.”

Previously, to qualify for the Public Price Promise program, students had to provide proof of acceptance to a University of California campus from both the UC and their school counselor. Those steps are now unnecessary, and students don’t need to apply separately for the Public Price Promise program.

For the 2023-24 school year, Public Price Promise scholarships, which are not based on income, will be automatically awarded to California students who meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • New first-year students from California high schools with a GPA (weighted for grades 9 to 11) of 3.9 or higher.
  • New transfer students from a college or university in California with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and at least 30 transferable credits.

If Public Price Promise recipients make satisfactory academic progress at Cal Lutheran and meet GPA requirements, they can renew the scholarship in subsequent years. Students can also receive other scholarships, along with federal, state and institutional aid based on need, to further reduce the cost.

More than 150 students at Cal Lutheran are Public Price Promise recipients for the 2022-23 school year, most of them first-year students.

For 2022-23, the value of the scholarship is $28,960, slightly more than the difference in the cost for tuition, fees, books and living expenses for full-time residential students attending Cal Lutheran and the average price of attending a UC campus.

For more information, visit CalLutheran.edu/promise or contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission at 805-493-3135 or admissions@callutheran.edu.