Long Beach State and the U.S. Coast Guard have partnered to offer two years of free tuition to students committed to joining the Coast Guard once they graduate.
Campus President Jane Close Conoley and members of the U.S. Coast Guard met to sign the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative Feb. 15 making LBSU the first university in the state to offer a CSPI program.
“The Coast Guard is seeking to increase the diversity of its workforce, especially, the officer corps,” said Lt. Travis Thornell, who is overseeing the program.
The partnership guarantees one to three students who are accepted into the program two years of paid LBSU tuition, a full salary and living expenses, while also promising them a career once they graduate.
“The commitment is only three years, and the starting base salary is approximately $60,000,” Thornell said.
Students accepted into the CSPI program are required to complete a minimum of 16 hours a month of various activities such as talking to students about their experiences in the program with the local Coast Guard and wearing the Coast Guard uniform once a week on campus.
Students enlisted are required to complete basic training during the summer where they will learn more about the daily life of a U.S. Coast Guard.
Once students in the program graduate, they will be enrolled in a 17-week officers candidate school in Connecticut, where they will finish their training. Once they complete the program, they will receive guaranteed acceptance as a U.S. Coast Guard officer.
“If you were to enlist in the Coast Guard, it could take a number of years and an extremely vetted process to become an officer or a pilot,” said Legend Pham, a graduate of the CSPI program. ”The benefit of CSPI is being able to have those opportunities as soon as you graduate from college.”
The program previously was only available for sophomores or juniors with a high academic standing. However, the Coast Guard made the decision to offer the program to seniors along with graduate students.
“I would recommend applying for the CSPI program if you are interested in a sense of adventure, leadership, community service and ultimately, serving your country as an officer,” Pham said.