Posted October 12, 2021 in Articles
In 2020, CSU’s 2-for-1 Tuition Promise slashed tuition up to 50 percent for hundreds of students. In doing so, students, like the ones you’ll meet here, were emboldened to work harder and engage more fully in campus life, deepening their commitment to success.
JUAN GUERRA-VALENZUEL
Sophomore
Organizational Leadership & Business Management major
Juan often feels the weight of being a first-generation college student. His parents never graduated from high school, and he has two younger siblings following in his footsteps. But it’s a badge he wears with honor and a burden he gladly shoulders. He’s paving the way, he said, and that means something to him.
The 2-for-1 Tuition Promise was a boon to his academic pursuits. The road of a trailblazer often comes fraught with obstacles, even doubts. But Juan said the support encouraged him to soldier through and grab ahold of the life he wants for himself one day, climbing the corporate ladder. “I have to keep going harder,” he said.
Having seen his peers labor to pay for college, he knows he’s fortunate.
DENAEJA LONAS
Sophomore
Psychology major, minoring in music
Denaeja was already a freshman in 2020 at CSU before she found about out the 2-for-1 Tuition Promise. And then, one day, seemingly out of the blue, she received an email that she’d have her spring semester covered if she met the required GPA. She and her mother are financing her education at CSU almost wholly by loans. And for Denaeja, the message meant that her debt would shrink by approximately $6,000. “It’s greatly appreciated,” she said.
The financial incentive motivated her to throw even more effort into her academic performance and helped her to end the year with a 3.7 GPA.
Making a Difference
Denaeja plans to be a music therapist and real estate agent. The two might seem to be disparate professions, but she plans to explore all of her interests. While she loves music, Denaeja also loves to sell. She got a taste of that working at Costco as a food sample demonstrator.
JACOB DIFRANCO
Sophomore
Business Administration major, minoring in Marketing with a certificate in Real Estate and Property Management
Cleveland State wasn’t Jacob’s first choice. He planned on attending Ohio State, but when he learned of the Tuition Promise, he changed course and set his sights on CSU.
He started working at age 13 to stash away money for college. Even then, he knew incurring debt was a nonstarter. But with CSU covering a semester of school, Jacob knew that meant he could work fewer hours to cover tuition and other costs. He was able to be a student. Enjoy campus life.
And that’s exactly what he’s been able to do. Among his campus involvement is his post as vice president for community outreach for CSU’s student chapter of the American Marketing Association. “I hope and pray that you continue to [provide the tuition promise] because it definitely helped me out and a ton of other students I know too.”
Leaving His Mark
As a leasing intern, Jacob has witnessed the barriers to securing housing. He hopes to blast through those walls by founding a non-profit providing short-term shelter for society’s marginalized populations, while offering support for long-term solutions.
