California Lutheran University has received $2.5 million to provide scholarships to accomplished students from low- and middle-income families.
The donation from the Camarillo-based TOLD Foundation is the largest that Cal Lutheran has ever received for scholarships outside of an estate gift.
The Rod Gilbert Achievement Scholarship is designed to address the fact that a growing number of students with financial need are attending Cal Lutheran. The share of the university’s undergraduate students who are eligible for federal Pell Grants, which are awarded to those with exceptional financial need, increased from 16% to 30% during the last 15 years. In the 2021-2022 academic year, 60% of undergraduates received state or federal need-based financial aid. These trends align with the Hispanic-Serving Institution’s successful efforts to enroll and graduate students from diverse racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.