Student Affairs + Campus Diversity
Residential Housing Support Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Message from Leadership
Dear Donor, <<salutation>>, The momentum of our residential community has never been stronger. This year, we welcomed a record 8,456 students to live on SDSU’s campus, a powerful reflection of the value students place on a connected, on-campus experience. The student stories and faculty accomplishments this year demonstrate what is possible because of the dedication of our team and the support of partners like you who help create a community where students can thrive. As part of our commitment to financially competitive student housing, the CSU Board of Trustees approved Phase II of Evolve Student Housing, our multiphase construction project. The new Texcoco residential hall and Plaza del Sol amenity building opened in fall 2026, adding 960 new beds to campus and a new westside dining experience. Our research continues to show that students who live on SDSU’s campus experience higher retention,GPA, graduation rates and a greater sense of belonging and well-being. Philanthropy remains essential to our mission, helping meet basic needs, support degree completion and fund programs that foster connection, growth and confidence. Thank you for your commitment to student success at SDSU and in our residential halls. We are deeply grateful for your continued trust in our vision! With appreciation and gratitude,
Cynthia Aranda Cervantes, Ed.D.
Kara L. Bauer, Ed.D.
Philanthropy
Propelling the SDSU Community Forward Residential Housing Endowment The Residential Housing Endowment serves as a critical investment in student stability, retention and success at SDSU. Established to ensure students from low-income households have access to oncampus housing, the endowment provides stability during their first two years at SDSU, supporting retention and academic success. This year, the endowment awarded $230,000 in scholarship and emergency housing support—the highest amount awarded to date. This funding provided five students with housing scholarships and 100 students with emergency housing assistance, including 93 EOP students, helping to reduce housing debt and support students in remaining housed and enrolled. Before receiving support, students carried significant housing debt. Following assistance, average housing debt decreased for EOP students and non-EOP students, demonstrating the endowment’s role in reducing financial barriers and keeping students housed, enrolled and on track to graduate. Anne Rosser Residential Housing Endowment The Anne Rosser Residential Housing Endowment continues to transform the student experience. This support helps ease financial burdens, allowing students from low-income backgrounds to focus on their education, build community and thrive. The endowment reflects a lifelong commitment to students’ success and well-being.
Group of students walking through residential halls together.
SDSU Alum, Anne Rosser seated in front of Olmeca/ Maya Residence Hall.
Student Spotlight
Thriving in the Aztec Experience Vanessa Angelique Saldaña Chavez, Class of 2029 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Sciences Major: Computer Science As a low-income, first-generation Latina, I fight for my right to a proper education, to maintain a roof over my head, and to guard the belief that I can become more than my parents expected of me. More than 530 miles away from friends and family, I work the maximum hours allowed on campus to pay off my fees, but even that’s not enough. The Residential Housing Endowment Award represents more than just debt being paid off. The release from financial stress allows me to fully immerse myself in my studies and opens my availability to further campus and community involvement. Most importantly, it fuels my determination to become one of the 6.24% of Latinas pursuing a STEM career. To me, this award is a symbol that it’s possible to do what seems impossible.
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The Residential Housing Endowment Award represents more than just debt being paid off. The release from financial stress allows me to fully immerse myself in my studies and opens my availability to further campus and community involvement.
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Student Spotlight
Issys Smith, Class of 2029 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Arts and Letters Major: Sociology and Philosophy with a Minor in Child Development My SDSU experience has been an emotional roller coaster. I initially saw college as just a bigger high school with more freedom, but I quickly realized it is on a completely different level. In high school, I effortlessly earned straight A’s, but college challenged me to change my habits. Now, I study hard to succeed and maintain my grades. As the first in my family to attend college, I want to make my parents and myself proud. Because they couldn’t prepare me for this transition, SDSU’s Office of Educational Opportunity Programs, Outreach and Success (EOPOS) made a major impact. EOPOS helped me with time management, course planning, and building my confidence to set goals for my academic and mental well-being. They also provided tuition assistance, and receiving the Residential Housing Endowment Award relieved immense financial stress. My mom is a single mother supporting my sister and me, and my disabled dad works part-time to help pay my tuition while undergoing dialysis three times a week. Their sacrifices make me want to be better, and I am incredibly proud to have a family that cares so deeply about my future.
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... Receiving the Residential Housing Endowment Award relieved immense financial stress.
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Student Spotlight
Jorge Salgado Vega, Class of 2029 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Health and Human Services Major: Public Health My freshman year at SDSU has been full of challenges, but it’s also been full of growth and resilience. Moving 10 hours away from home was not easy, especially after losing my mom during my senior year of high school. As the first person in my family to move away for college, I sometimes struggled with anxiety, financial stress, and adjusting to a new environment. There were moments when I doubted whether I could stay at SDSU at all. Despite everything, SDSU has helped me grow into a stronger and more confident version of myself. I found real friendships, improved academically, and began building a future centered on helping minority communities in healthcare. Opportunities like the Residential Housing Endowment Award and campus support make it possible for students like me to continue pursuing our education despite hardship. My experience at SDSU has shown me that perseverance and community can truly change someone’s life trajectory.
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Opportunities like the Residential Housing Endowment Award and campus support make it possible for students like me to continue pursuing our education despite hardship.
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Points of Pride
Celebrating Shared Success Statistics of Interest The 2025-26 academic year marked a record-breaking milestone, with 8,456 students housed on campus, the most in SDSU history. This included 4,508 first-year students, 3,295 sophomores, 775 juniors, 208 seniors, and 34 graduate students. Residents represented 49 states and 56 countries, creating a globally connected community. Our residential communities integrate advising, resource centers, and programming directly into housing. Our 23 Residential Learning Communities (RLCs) serve one-third of first-year students, connecting peers through shared interests. RLC students report an 88.2% satisfaction rate and earn higher GPAs than peers outside these communities: 3.36 vs. 3.28 and 3.31 vs. 3.26. On-site STAR Centers supported community learning with 6,345 student check-ins in 2024-25, while hall-based general advisors and retention specialists (GARS) provided 5,108 appointments. Together, these efforts drive a 92.85% first-year retention rate, demonstrating the impact of integrated, on-campus support. Recent Highlights Through the collective generosity of donors, the Residential Housing Endowment has grown to $3.04 million, strengthening its long-term ability to help students from low-income households access the full university experience by living on-campus. The SDSU Imperial Valley and Imperial Valley College Intersegmental Student Housing project, Calexico Commons, opened in August 2026, reflecting a strong cross-institutional partnership designed to support student success in the region. At SDSU San Diego, the Evolve Student Housing project represents a transformative, multi-phase effort to expand on-campus living while providing financially competitive housing options for students. Phase 1A, which includes the new Texcoco community and Plaza del Sol amenity building, opened in fall, adding 960 suite-style beds for students. Phase 1B, University Towers East, will add a traditional-style residence hall with more than 700 beds, opening in fall 2027. Looking ahead, Phase 2 will bring Metepec, an apartment-style community with 760 beds, beginning construction in summer 2026 and opening in 2028.
Record Housing
SDSU housed a record 8,456 students on campus in 2025-26, representing 49 states and 56 countries.
Faculty and Staff Achievements
Eduardo González, Ph.D. Title: Assistant Professor College: College of Professional Studies & Fine Arts Achievement: The Faculty-in-Residence (FIR) program has expanded my ability to serve as both an educator and mentor within the SDSU residential community. It allows me to meet students where they are—in classrooms, academic programs, and the everyday spaces shaping campus life, from front desks and Aztec Markets to laundry rooms and lounges. These interactions build trust and connection, helping students see faculty not only as instructors but as approachable individuals invested in their growth. As a FIR and assistant professor of border studies and communication, I lead academic, cultural, and careerreadiness programming for residential students. Drawing on my experience in international education, including work with the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education, I strive to broaden students’ horizons and introduce pathways they may not have considered. As a proud CSU alumnus, I view FIR programming as essential for showing students that academic and professional opportunities extend beyond California. I encourage them to pursue internships, scholarships, and postgraduate opportunities across the U.S. and internationally. By sharing my own journey, I aim to demonstrate what is possible when students step beyond their comfort zones. Students often describe these experiences as transformative, while international students frequently express a stronger sense of belonging. Through intentional programming, I support students in exploring study abroad opportunities, securing scholarships, and preparing for global careers, including programs such as Fulbright and the Luce Fellowships. My work as a communityengaged scholar informs this mentorship. My research examines how migrant and displaced communities in Latin America and the Middle East use digital technologies to support well-being and survival. This perspective strengthens my commitment to helping students understand their place in an interconnected world and engage with it thoughtfully and purposefully.
Thank you for your generous support.
University Relations and Development San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-8045 sdsu.edu | give.sdsu.edu