Edwin Valencia explains the financial aid process during a FAFSA workshop. Photo by Katherine Huang.
College, Career Center offers educational guidance, assists students
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The College and Career Center (CCC) began holding sessions called College App Wednesdays and Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) Fridays to assist seniors.
The sessions started during the first week of November and will occur twice every week until the end of the school year. Students will also be able to use the computer lab to get answers to questions about college during lunch on Wednesdays.
“[Seniors] can get help on their college applications and someone can look over their Personal Insight Questions,” Career and Technical Advisor Elizabeth An said. “If some students are applying to community colleges and they already started on their application, they can bring that in as well.”
In addition to engagement during lunch, students can be assisted after school.
“Counselors are alternating shifts where they’re working with students on college applications in E208,” An said.
After-school sessions will most likely be held on Wednesdays; however, dates may change.
Like College App Wednesdays, FAFSA Fridays are workshop days, except the focus is to help students signing up for financial aid.
“FAFSA Fridays encourage more students to apply since FAFSA opened up early this year on October 1,” An said.
During the first semester, the workshops are dedicated to assisting seniors applying to colleges with earlier deadlines. In the second semester, the workshops will aim to help students with applying for jobs and community colleges, which open their application periods later in the school year. Furthermore, students will be able to attend local community colleges to do activities that will prepare them for college.
“We have a partnership with East Los Angeles College and Rio Hondo College, and they allow us to bring a bus of students,” An said. “Students take assessments—English and math placement tests—and they get to meet with counselors from that community college to map out their first semester or first year of college.”
For students not interested in attending college, the CCC has recruiters from the United States Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force.
