Cal State Dominguez Hills Launches Free Tuition Program

The Toro Tuition Pledge will cover four years of tuition for first-time freshmen and two years for transfer students.

Mar. 25, 2026 at 6:07am

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Cal State Dominguez Hills has announced a new initiative called the Toro Tuition Pledge that will guarantee free tuition and mandatory fees for eligible students beginning in fall 2026. The program is available to California residents who qualify for federal Pell Grants or have a comparable level of financial need, and students must enroll full-time and maintain satisfactory academic progress to remain eligible.

Why it matters

The Toro Tuition Pledge aims to improve affordability and accessibility for students at Cal State Dominguez Hills, a public university that serves a diverse student population in the Los Angeles area. By covering tuition and fees, the program seeks to remove financial barriers and expand educational opportunities for students from low-income backgrounds.

The details

The Toro Tuition Pledge will cover four years of tuition for first-time freshmen and two years for transfer students. The program will rely largely on existing financial aid resources, supplemented by institutional funding to ensure tuition and required fees are fully covered for eligible students. However, the pledge does not cover other costs such as housing, parking, or textbooks.

  • The Toro Tuition Pledge will begin in fall 2026.

The players

Cal State Dominguez Hills

A public university in the California State University system that serves a diverse student population in the Los Angeles area.

Mary Ann Villarreal

The interim president of Cal State Dominguez Hills, who stated that the Toro Tuition Pledge reaffirms the university's commitment to expanding educational opportunities and transforming students' lives.

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What they’re saying

“CSUDH's mission is rooted in affordability and accessibility, and the Toro Tuition Pledge builds on our longstanding work of expanding opportunity to ensure every student can succeed.”

— Mary Ann Villarreal, Interim President

What’s next

The Toro Tuition Pledge will begin accepting applications from eligible students for the fall 2026 semester.

The takeaway

The launch of the Toro Tuition Pledge at Cal State Dominguez Hills represents a significant step towards improving college affordability and expanding access to higher education for students from low-income backgrounds in the Los Angeles region.