Student Costs

The reason I wanted to raise funds for Stanford College Prep is because we want to help students be able to afford the college application process. We tend to be so focused on finances once a student gets to college, that we forget how expensive it is to get to college. I have had too many conversations with students that began with them explaining that they are not applying to college because they cannot afford it. Because of the budget crisis at various university systems, fee and application waivers are disappearing or becoming more scarce. Students are being turned away for financial reasons before they even step foot in their first college class.

Let's imagine this is a typical high school senior who decides in the spring to enroll in a CSU:

4 CSU applications x $55 each = $220
4 UC applications x $60 each = $240
1 Stanford application x $90 = $90
1 Santa Clara University app x $55 = $55
Total cost of apps without fee waivers: $605

1 SAT test = $45
1 ACT test w/writing = $47
SAT II (3 subjects, reg fee @ $20, plus 2 subjects @ $9 ea. plus one language w/listening @ $20) = $58
Total cost of tests w/out fee waivers = $150

1 SAT prep book = $20
1 ACT prep book = $20
1 portable CD player (required for SAT II language w/listening) = $25
Total cost of test supplies = $65

Application fee for freshman year housing @ CSU = $55
Housing deposit @ CSU (which is due with the housing application, long before financial aid is available) = $1400*
Total cost to secure freshman year housing @ CSU = $1,455
*A representative in housing at SFSU said that this initial payment might go up this spring due to the state budget crisis

Total cost of senior year process for this student: $2,275

Students should not be turned away from pursuing their dreams of going to college because they cannot afford the application process. This is why Upward Bounce was created: to help students get to college because we know that once they are there, they will succeed.