Plenty of funding available
Students in California’s community colleges are less eager to seek out federal financial help through FAFSA this year, even though there are plenty of funds available to tap into.
The number of applications fell by four percent overall, but the decline was steeper in pools of students who come from “mixed-status” households, where either one parent or both parents don’t have a social security number.
Applications from students who have one such parent dropped by 10 percent and from those whose both parents are in that predicament dipped by 18 percent. The data from July of this year shows that the Allan Hancock district in Southern California took the biggest hit of 33 percent.
In an August 15 Ethnic Media Services briefing, advocates highlighted the critical September 3 deadline for California Community College students to apply for financial aid through the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA).
What is FAFSA?
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Created by the U.S. Congress in 1992, it’s a master form, of sorts, through which students apply for all federal financial aid, which includes grants, loans, and work-study funds to pay for college.
Speaking at a press event hosted by EMS on August 15, Ivan Hernandez, president of the Student Senate for California community colleges, shared his experience with FAFSA.
“I’m someone who gets their FAFSA form filled in after a week or two after the application process has opened. But this year, I submitted it just last week and the application process was just too stressful,” he said.
It has been “extremely frustrating” for his peers as well, he noted, primarily because it’s “a brand-new way of filling out the form.”
FAFSA Hiccups
Like the taxes, filling in the FAFSA form has never been easy. If anything, it has been an exercise in mental torture. But this year, the Department of Education made a knotty problem, knottier. Its long-running effort to reform FAFSA and make it more student-friendly has had the reverse effect. To begin with, the overhaul of the portal was delayed from October to December of last year and then, when it was soft-launched, it was plagued with a series of technical problems.
Students who live in mixed-status households have held back from applying for reasons that transcend the more obvious technological challenges.
People that Hernandez knows are just afraid—afraid that if they apply, they could get their parents in a lot of trouble. In the FAFSA form, they will have to declare that either one or both of their parents aren’t documented and doing so, they believe, will make it easier for the government to know that their parents are living in the U.S. illegally.
“Some students think they won’t receive any financial aid because they come from middle-income families or have other circumstances,” Hernandez explained. “But that’s not true. Financial aid is available, and it can make all the difference.”
Then, there are those who don’t have faith in paperwork. They’re discouraged by the long wait until they hear back. Still others don’t apply because they think that they wouldn’t be eligible.
Financial Aid & Immigration Status
Daisy Gonzales, executive director of the California Student Aid Commission (or CSAC), who spoke at the same panel, offered oodles of assurance to those who want to go to school, but are fearful of exposing their immigration status.
“We want you to know that college is possible and that your dreams can come true. What you share with us is safe with us,” she said. Plus, we have all the resources that you need to apply for FAFSA and CADAA.”
CADAA, which is the California Dream Act Application, is the state-level counterpart of FAFSA, which allows students, regardless of their documentation status or that of their family members, to apply for financial aid.
Education for All
CSAC is a California state agency, which is responsible for running financial aid programs for students attending public and private universities, colleges and trade schools within California. The biggest state financial aid agency of its kind in the U.S., it manages over $3.5 billion in state and federal funds.
“Our goal is to make education beyond high school financially accessible to all Californians,” said Gonzales.
California is home to some 3.3 million mixed-status households. More than 12 percent of all students in California’s K-12 public schools are estimated to be from a mixed-status family. 55 percent of the California Dream Act students attend a California community college. 54 percent of community college students have an income below $40,000, which qualifies them for Cal Grant.
“Financial aid is transformative. It certainly was for me,” she said.
It’s what keeps students afloat during their journey through college. It’s also a gateway to higher education, which, in turn, is a door to a rewarding career after college.
Pursuit of higher education
While money is the key to enabling an individual student to pursue higher education, the push to get more students to apply is also dictated by the lofty vision to promote the greatest good of the greatest number. In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom outlined a multi-year educational plan, whose goal was to get 70 percent of all Californians to earn a post-secondary degree by 2030.
Any student who intends to attend a California community college this fall will need to fill out the FAFSA form by September 3. “The urgency of this deadline cannot be overstated,” Gonzales said. “We have $383 million in financial aid, which is waiting to support all of you community college attendees out there.” That will go toward paying for their tuition as well as help cover the costs of their books, rent, food, and transportation. There are additional funds available for students who are parents so that they can support their kids.
The mere act of completing the form is believed to correlate with higher rates of student enrollment rates, particularly among those from low-income households. Student enrollment at community colleges has been sliding, a trend that began with the COVID-19 pandemic.
California’s Community College System
California has a network of 116 community colleges that cater to nearly two million students, making it the biggest educational infrastructure in the U.S. More than 70 percent of these students come from diverse ethnic backgrounds and 48 percent of them are Hispanic.
The fall semester of college starts in a few weeks. Gonzales urged students to hurry up and get the FAFSA form filled out.
“Our call centers are ready to take your calls. We have webinars and toolkits that will walk you through the challenges you’re facing. Don’t wait until September. Get started today,” she said.
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