FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 5, 2022

MEDIA CONTACT:
Claudine Battisti

UNITE-LA AND PARTNERS COME TOGETHER TO HELP L.A. AREA YOUTH PLAN FOR COLLEGE & MAXIMIZE FEDERAL AND STATE FINANCIAL AID

By Ed Coghlan

When you consider the damage done to California by the COVID-19 pandemic, look no further than public education. The inability for students and counselors to be in personal touch is taking a toll on our students in the classroom.

For high school seniors, there’s been another challenge. Applying and paying for college. This year has been more challenging than most.

And that is part of what is driving an efafort to get high school seniors signed up for California college financial aid by a March 2 deadline.

CFC, in conjunction with Wells Fargo, awards $55,000 in student scholarships

On January 26, 2017, a DACA/CA Dream Act training for school counselors and college access providers at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels was hosted in partnership with the Southern California College Access Network (SoCal CAN), LAUSD, and the California Community Foundation.

1 Free year of Community College Promised to LAUSD Graduates

The L.A. College Promise officially kicked-off with a public celebration at Los Angeles City College on September 14, 2016 that featured Dr. Jill Biden, Second Lady of the United States and Honorary Chair of President Obama’s national College Promise Campaign who stresses that the L.A. College Promise is not a “one-way street.”  She spoke directly to students in the audience and explained that if they benefit from the L.A. College Promise, they must also give back to their communities once they graduate.  

 New Ed Trust West website highlights Cash for College as a Promising Practice for financial aid completion.

This new website tracks college financial aid application rates for California schools and districts. It uses US DOE data to publicly report the percentage of 12th graders who completed FAFSA and Cal Grant applications, and highlights promising practices that schools, districts, and community partners can use to increase financial aid access.

With about 460,000 students in the CSU system, the number of those who have experienced homelessness, according to the study, totals about 46,000, and the number who worried about hunger totals about 105,800.

"The study’s estimates are based on 1,039 survey replies from 4,945 randomly selected students and more than 100 interviews with staff, faculty and administrators across the CSU system."

SUPER SATURDAY WORKSHOPS HELP HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS COMPLETE FINANCIAL AID FORMS AND FIND 'CASH FOR COLLEGE'

Over the coming weeks, L.A. Cash for College and its partners will host more than 150 workshops throughout the region to provide families the opportunity to meet with financial aid experts who will answer questions and guide them through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and California Dream Act applications.

Cash for College workshops connect students to financial aid

KPCC Staff Article, January 14, 2016

Through 800-plus free Cash for College workshops, the California Student Aid Commission is walking students and their parents through financial aid options to help connect families to state and federal aid dollars.

College is awesome.  If you don't believe us, just ask the First Lady of the United States and SNL's Jay Pharaoh.