California Lutheran University is starting a program that will allow students to attend the Thousand Oaks private college for the price of a University of California education.

Under CLU's new "UC Guarantee Scholarship" program, students who are admitted to CLU and also to UC Santa Barbara or UCLA can attend CLU for the same price that the public universities charge — saving them roughly $60,000 over four years when compared with CLU's full costs.

CLU is hoping the program will boost its academic profile as well as its diversity, said Matt Ward, dean of undergraduate enrollment.

"We know very well they're very selective institutions, and they're in our neighborhood," Ward said. "This does open up a new market for us."

About 100 students who apply to UCSB also apply to CLU, Ward said. The number is significantly lower for UCLA, he said.

CLU's program is unusual but not unique. St. Mary's University in Minnesota offers a similar scholarship, but it is limited to students from low- or middle-income families. CLU's program has no income requirements.

Since St. Mary's program started last year, the Catholic school has seen a boost in low-income and minority students, said Tom Piscitiello, vice president for admission. The school also is attracting academically stronger students, he said.

"We had research showing that students were dismissing applying to St. Mary's because they couldn't afford a private education," Piscitiello said.

Admissions officials at both UCLA and UCSB had not heard of CLU's program when contacted this week.

Betty Huff, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment services and management at UCSB, said any program that allows students to attend a school that's a good fit, regardless of price, is a benefit.

"If a student wants to attend a campus like Cal Lutheran, and this puts it in their financial means, that's an advantage," Huff said.

CLU officials are contacting about 9,000 prospective students statewide to let them know about the program and also talking to high school counselors, Ward said.

Kevin Weeks, a senior at Newbury Park High School, is applying to CLU, UCSB, UCLA and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He had not heard about the new program but said it could make a difference for people who believe they can't afford a private school.

"I'm not sure where I want to go yet, but this would make it more difficult to rule out one school or the other," Weeks said. "It'd be a pretty big scholarship."

The cost for tuition, books and room and board at CLU this year is $39,355. The average cost to attend UCLA or UCSB is $24,522. The scholarship will pay the difference. This year, that difference would be $14,833. The actual amount will be announced this spring when the universities have updated their costs, and it will continue to be updated every year.

CLU will pay for the program with its growing scholarship fund, Ward said.

Most students who qualify for the new program, however, would have qualified for merit aid anyway, he said.

"We're talking about students who would already be receiving a significant scholarship," Ward said. "A lot of this is reality repackaged."

On the Net:

www.callutheran.edu/ucguarantee