CSUN Lands $3M Federal Grant To Expand AI, Fintech Education

NORTHRIDGE, CA — California State University, Northridge and California State University, Los Angeles have received a $5 million federal grant to prepare hundreds of students for careers in financial technology and artificial intelligence.

The five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education will provide $3 million to CSUN's David Nazarian College of Business and Economics and $2 million to Cal State LA.

The funding will support programs focused on fintech, a growing field that uses technology to improve how people and businesses manage, transfer and invest money.

Hundreds of students across the two campuses are expected to earn certificates in fintech-related fields and receive AI-powered tutoring, academic advising and career guidance over the next five years.

"Fintech is where financial services are growing and where hiring is changing fast," said Chandra Subramaniam, dean of CSUN's Nazarian College. "We now have federal backing to make sure students who are the first in their families to attend college are the ones building that industry."

The grant was awarded through the Department of Education's Strengthening Institutions Program. Both universities are designated Hispanic-serving institutions and enroll significant numbers of first-generation college students and Pell Grant recipients.

The partnership aims to connect students from the San Fernando Valley, East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley with career opportunities in the region's financial technology industry.

Students will learn to develop AI-powered financial products, collaborate across disciplines and turn their ideas into potential businesses.

"Through this partnership, students will learn to build with AI, form teams and take a fintech product from idea to pitch, alongside their peers at CSUN," said Monica Sharif, an associate professor at Cal State LA's College of Business and Economics.

The funding will also support the development of CSUN's Center for Fintech Innovation and Policy, which was established in May and is preparing for a grand opening in 2027.

Farshad Ghodoosi, an associate professor of business law and founding academic director of the center, said the grant will help the universities create new educational credentials, a venture lab and faculty resources to prepare students for the workforce.

"This grant lets us build the pathway — the credentials, the venture lab and the faculty — that turns into careers for students from the Valley to the Eastside," Ghodoosi said.

The center is also expected to serve as a meeting place for students, faculty and Los Angeles-area fintech companies.

At its planned grand opening in 2027, business leaders will have opportunities to meet students, review their projects and discuss the skills employers are seeking, Ghodoosi said.

The initiative is intended to give students hands-on experience developing financial technology products while building connections with potential employers in one of the region's growing industries.