One of our fellow California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State) students attends a leadership conference and becomes involved with the CSU system. She then becomes one of two CSU Student Trustee on the CSU Board of Trustees and is a part of the California State Students Association (CSSA).
This impressive student is Maggie White (senior, Communication Studies, Economics). Her life-changing experience is directly related to the SIRF fee.
Here is the chance to find out more about a fee that is proposed by the students for the students.
When reviewing your list of fees, you will notice a new category called Student Involvement and Representation Fee (SIRF). This fee is a voluntary two dollars per semester fee that is assessed to each Stan State student.
This fee aims to expand the California State Students Association (CSSA) and replace the old funding model of which includes revenue sources such as Associated Students membership dues, fundraising and Chancellor’s office grants.
The CSSA is a voice for CSU students in system and state policy debates and have advocated for student access to an affordable and high quality education within the CSU system. They are a non-profit student organization founded by student body presidents in 1959.
By voluntarily paying a total of four dollars per academic year in SIRF fees, the CSSA becomes an association that is more independent.
Each CSU student has the ability to elect not to pay the fee each time it is assessed. 
To opt out, log in to your “mycsustan” account and remove the fee from being paid under your account inquiry.
The deadline to opt out of the SIRF fee is Sept. 22, 2015.
Examples of the opportunities that can be created include increased opportunities for students to participate in university committees, attend leadership conferences, experience internships, advocate at federal and state levels and provide CSSA- sponsored student programs and their respective home campuses.
Along with representing Stan State as the Student Trustee on the CSU Board of Trustees, White is also a part of the CSSA.
“Earlier this year, CSSA was heavily involved with lobbying California’s government for a fully funded budget. The CSU system ended up getting ninety seven million dollars more than what had originally been offered to us by Governor Brown,” White said.
That is one example of how the CSAA has benefited our own home campus.
“The two dollars-per-semester voluntary fee for all CSU students would go directly towards increasing CSSA’s presence in Sacramento as well as at the federal level, allowing their advocacy efforts on our behalf to be even more successful,” White said.
Student members of the CSSA work closely with the CSU Chancellor, CSU trustees, Governor and State legislature to positively affect higher education policy in the CSU system.