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Guardian Scholars Promise Division of Student Affairs

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Welcome to the Guardian Scholars Promise

The Guardian Scholars Promise (GSP) at Sacramento State University is a transformational initiative designed to support students who have experienced foster care by providing guaranteed admissions at the undergraduate level.

A message from President Wood and Dr. Aniesha Mitchell on Instagram

Why Choose Sac State and GSP

  • The university's GSP program has celebrated over 200 graduates in the last 10 years.
  • This program is the largest program in Northern California and third largest CSU foster youth program in the state with over 195 students enrolled.
  • The President of Sacramento State, Dr. Luke Wood, is a former foster youth who is dedicated to making Sac State the go-to CSU for youth who have experienced foster care

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the “Guardian Scholars Promise”?

The “Guardian Scholars Promise” provides automatic acceptance into Sacramento State and into the University’s Guardian Scholars Program (GSP) for applicants who meet CSU admissions requirements. Additionally, the student must meet eligibility requirements for Guardian Scholars including having spent at least one day in the child welfare system and/or are identified as an unaccompanied minor/unhoused minor under the McKinney-Vento Act in high school.

Q. How do I know that I meet CSU admissions requirements?

CSU admission requirements will depend on an applicant’s education level when applying for Sacramento State. To review the requirements for both incoming freshmen and transfer students, please visit Sac State's Catalog.

Q. How do I apply to Sacramento State?

Sacramento State accepts first year students, lower division, and upper division transfers during the Fall and Spring semesters. If you are interested in learning more about our admission process, requirements and more, please visit Sac State's Admissions Application Process page.

If you would like to begin your CalApply application for Sacramento State, please visit the CalState Apply page.

Q. How do I know that I qualify for Sac State’s GSP program?

To qualify for the Sacramento State Guardian Scholars Program (GSP) the student must be admitted to Sacramento State and provide dependency/verification documentation of being in the child welfare system for at least one day. This would include, but is not limited to those that are/have experienced the following:

  • Current/former foster youth including those in Extended Foster Care (AB12)
  • Probation foster youth
  • Placement through Child Welfare Services in Legal Guardianship or Voluntary Placement Agreement (VPA)
  • Placement through Child Welfare Services in a Relative or Non-Relative Resource Family (Foster Home)
  • Placement through Child Welfare Services in a Group Home or other Institutional Care settings
  • Placement through Child Welfare Services in a Transitional Living Arrangement (for example, THP-M, THPP, THP+FC, or THP+)
  • Placement through Tribal Child Welfare Services
  • Unaccompanied/unhoused minors identified under the McKinney-Vento Act in high school.

Q. How do I enroll in the Guardian Scholars Program?

The student must connect with the Guardian Scholars Program (GSP), please email the GSP program at gsp@csus.edu any time, and a staff member will connect with the student. It is highly recommended to register with the GSP program shortly after submitting their “Intent to Enroll.” The process to register a student in completed in two steps:

Step 1: Provide a copy of your dependency documents/foster youth verification letter(s) and email it to gsp@csus.edu or submit them to a Program Coordinator at the GSP Center in Sacramento Hall, Room 118.

Step 2: Once the documents have been submitted, a Program Coordinator will contact the student within 1 business day to schedule a meeting to complete the GSP Registration Form. This appointment typically lasts an hour and allows the student to meet the coordinators, learn about the services and benefits and identify support that the student may need in their transition to Sacramento State.

Step 3: Once these items are submitted, the student is officially admitted to the program!

Q. How can I connect with the Guardian Scholars Program at Sacramento State?

To connect with the GSP team, you can visit their office on campus at Sacramento Hall, Room 118, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. You can also reach the office via phone at (916) 278-6680 or via email at gsp@csus.edu.