MAYOR GARCETTI LAUNCHES ‘COLLEGE CORNERS’ TO HELP EASE L.A. STUDENTS’ PATH TO HIGHER EDUCATION
Housed within each of the City’s 16 FamilySource Centers, “College Corners” will provide much-needed access to admissions and financial aid information for students and families across Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES — College application season is upon us, and students and families across Los Angeles are dotting i’s and crossing t’s on admissions and financial aid paperwork with enormous implications for their future.
To help ease that process, Mayor Eric Garcetti today rolled out “College Corners” — a new resource to give Angelenos more convenient access to information and advice on applying to schools and securing the financial assistance they need to complete a degree.
“It’s on all of us to make sure that our students are in a position to take advantage of every opportunity to realize their dreams,” said Mayor Garcetti. “Higher education will help so many get to where they need to go — but understanding college admissions requirements and filling out complicated forms can intimidate even the most motivated people. It doesn’t have to be that way, and our College Corners put resources within reach so that knowledge and access can be turned into achievement.”
The College Corners are housed inside each of the City’s 16 FamilySource Centers, and provide information on what classes students should take for college eligibility, resources for standardized test preparation, assistance with filling out financial aid forms (including FAFSA and California Dream Act applications), scholarship opportunities, college readiness programs, and more.
Staffed by college students with a fresh, up-to-date perspective on what it takes to succeed on campus in 2016, each Corner also makes computers and other materials available — so students and parents can research and fill out online forms as needed. These resources are arriving at a critical time: This year, the opening date to submit key financial aid forms was moved up to October 1, giving students and families additional time to prepare paperwork prior to the March 2 deadline.
FamilySource Centers are managed by the City of Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department. To find a location near you, go to hcidla.lacity.org/family-source-centers.
Mayor Garcetti was joined at today’s launch by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, LAUSD Board President Steve Zimmer, and L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Gary Toebben. The Chamber sponsors L.A. Cash for College, one of the region’s largest financial aid awareness campaigns. Since 2001, the program has helped nearly 256,000 students and families apply for financial aid and navigate the college admissions process.
L.A. Cash for College will organize dozens of neighborhood workshops through March 2, in addition to several major events that include Fall Super Saturday on October 8; the 15th Annual College & Career Convention on November 18-19; and Winter Super Saturday on January 21. Super Saturdays will hosts dozens of workshops throughout the Los Angeles region. For more information, go to lacashforcollege.org.
“At the Chamber, when we say, ‘college ready,’ we mean assisting all L.A. area students in their K-12 education and in their access to college,” said Chamber CEO Gary Toebben. “We are proud to join with the Mayor in the City’s higher education efforts, as we know well that our businesses need an educated workforce to compete with companies in other cities and nations.”
Mayor Garcetti is committed to building partnerships that give every child in Los Angeles the opportunity to complete high school and pursue higher education. Last month, he launched the L.A. College Promise in partnership with the the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), and the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce. The Promise guarantees admission and a tuition-free year at one of the nine LACCD campuses, as well as resources and support that ranges from tutoring and mentoring programs to financial literacy workshops.
