California Cash for College Line-by-line, step-by-step, a brighter future for all students…

1. California Cash for College Line-by-line, step-by-step, a brighter future for all students… 2005 FAFSA Community Workshop Series

2. What is California Cash for College (CCFC)? • A project of the California Student Aid Commission/EDFUND and The James Irvine Foundation. • The workshop series aims to help low income and first generation college-going students and their families complete the FAFSA and other financial aid forms.

3. What is CA Cash for College? • Now entering 4th Year • 136 workshops statewide in 2004 • Since 2002, more than 18,000students statewide have attended workshops • Community coalitions work directly with high schools, higher education financial aid offices and outreach programs to conduct workshops

4. Top 5 Reasons to Send Students to a Cash for College Workshop… • Friendly, helpful people like yourselves will say, “You CAN Afford College, and here’s how!” • Having students draw parents to a workshop offers them needed “quality time” • January & February are “Focus on the FAFSA” months! • Can get help with tax preparation • Can win 1 of 10 $1,000 Scholarships in a statewide drawing – just for attending and filling out a survey!

5. More Reasons to Send Students to Cash for College Workshop… • Another opportunity to get free professional and knowledgeable help on the FAFSA • Multilingual materials and assistance for parents • Will leave armed with road map to finish FAFSA, to navigate award letter process, and with financial literacy materials • Did we mention the $1,000 Scholarship drawing? 10+ scholarships offered to students statewide

6. Who Attends Workshops? • High school seniors and those students who would qualify for the Cal Grant Entitlement program • Parents and Guardians • Low income and first generation college-goers • All students who want help in completing the FAFSA and other forms are served

7. Workshops in January and February? • Scheduled evenings and weekends in January and February to give students and families a second or third pass at the FAFSA • To make sure we help all students who need to fill out the FAFSA • In January and February, the FAFSA can be filed and W-2 information is more likely to be available to students and their families.

8. How can Students Find out about Workshops ? Visit www.californiacashforcollege.org Click on “Workshops,” enter your zip code for a list of workshops within an 80 mile radius.

9. Cash for College Partners who “Speak FAFSA” at Workshops • High School Counselors and their member organization • Financial Aid Administrators of all segments and their associations

10. All higher education segments Student Outreach Programs Community organizations IRS – Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Regional Coalitions Statewide labor groups Statewide coalition of faith-based groups Elected officials Foster care program representatives Workforce Investment Board/Youth Councils Cash for College Partners who “ the FAFSA”

11. What Students Told Us In 2004:It’s All Good… • 95% of students told us the workshop was excellent or good • 93% of students told us it was worth the effort of coming to the workshop • 52% of student respondents who participated in California Cash for College workshops will be the first in their family to attend college.

12. What They Told Us In 2004:Parents Matter! • 51% of students whose parent/guardian attended completed FAFSA at the workshop • Only 34% of students attending alone completed FAFSA at the workshop

13. What They Told Us In 2004:School is where it’s AT…. • 50% of students told us they heard about workshops at school • 21% of students told us they heard through a workshop organizer • Only 14% said they heard about workshops through newspaper, radio or TV

14. What They Told Us In 2004: Among “at school” responses, who or where they heard about workshops

15. What They Told Us In 2004:Workshop Organizers made an Impact How students said they heard from Workshop Organizers

16. First-time calling project reached 2,851 students who attended workshops What They Told Us In 2004:Did Students Meet March 2nd Cal Grant Deadline? 76.1% Met Deadline 10.7%, Did NOT Meet Deadline 13.1% Didn’t Want to Say Results include complete contacts and refusals, “no answers” not included

17. Ways to Link School and CCFC Efforts • Send students and their parents to a California Cash for College workshop • Work with regional and local organizers to hold workshop at high school site • Post California Cash for College workshop locater link to your school website • More options are welcome, we want to hear from you!

18. The statewide CCFC office coordinates individual efforts. For more information, email Despina Costopoulos: cashforcollege@csac.ca.gov Regional offices: In Metro and Greater LA, email Alma Salazar: asalazar@unitela.com In San Diego and Imperial counties, email Linda Doughty: ldoughty@ucsd.edu In the Central Valley, email Cheri Cruz: ccruz@csufresno.edu In the Bay Area, email Ellen Cunningham: ecunningham@chelafin.org Capitol Region - TBA Ways to Link School and CCFC Efforts