Sept. 3 is the last day students, regardless of immigration status, can apply for financial aid
AS the cost of higher education rises across the country, community leaders in California are urging students to take advantage of state and federal aid this academic year.
The deadline to apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the California Dream Act Application (CDAA) is Tuesday, Sept. 3 for community college students.
In an Aug. 15 press briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services, education experts shared that despite the large sum of available funds for college students, many of the nearly 2 million students attending the 116 community colleges across the state aren’t taking advantage of it.
Students who submit their application by Sept. 3 are eligible to receive all scholarships and grants that are available in California.
“That deadline is a lifeline for students and for California’s ability to continue as a national leader in higher education for mixed-status families and immigrant students,” said Daisy Gonzales, executive director for the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).
Gonzales shared that there is about $383 million available in aid, but that many students haven’t applied for financial assistance.
Any student whose household annual income is below $40,000 is qualified for financial aid, which can be used to cover key expenses like rent, food, books, school materials, transportation, and childcare, said Gonzales.
She added that financial aid is open to all students, regardless of immigration status.
Nancy Jodaitis, director of higher education with the non-profit Immigrants Rising, said that financial aid is not a public charge. Those who are undocumented or with undocumented family members will not have their status be affected by any applications to financial aid.
“Regardless of what happens at a national level—not that it won’t impact us, not that fear is present—California will continue to stand with immigrants, who have been such an integral part of our community and our state,” Jodaitis said.
Melany Vardalo, a Filipino American college student, said that without FAFSA, she wouldn’t have started her college journey last year.
“I work full-time but tuition is still so expensive, even for community college, so I’m thankful to have the option to get financial aid to help students like me, students that struggle with paying the bills,” Vardalo, 20, told the Asian Journal in a phone interview.
Vardalo is a second-generation Filipino American and the daughter of immigrants from Manila. She said that her family always planned for her to go to college but that their financial woes made that seem like an impossible goal.
“If I didn’t have FAFSA, I probably wouldn’t have been able to attend college right after high school,” said Vardalo, who submitted her FAFSA application on Aug. 21 while preparing for her second year at Los Angeles Valley College.
Another Filipino student named Daniel Medina—who starts his freshman year at Cypress College in Orange County on Aug. 26—said that applying to FAFSA was difficult as the website has been experiencing glitches and delays.
Medina, 19, told the Asian Journal that he tried applying in late July but the FAFSA application itself has gone through changes, with new language and forms that have slowed many students down.
“My older sister [who received FAFSA in the past] tried helping me but the new system has made it difficult for us, with the website glitching,” he said. “I finally got [my application] submitted but I would advise students to always apply as early as possible to avoid things like this.”
Gonzales said that CASC can help students walk through the new FAFSA forms and that students have been able to get through the application within a couple of hours with their help. (Students and families and can seek support from CASC via their Student Support.)
(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
