L.A. Area Chamber holds Cash for College financial aid workshops
This year marks important changes to filling out FAFSA forms
January 21, 2017 10:00 am
LOS ANGELES, CA —The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and its affiliate, UNITE-LA, is hosting its winter Super Saturday event Jan. 21, with 23 free, college financial aid workshops organized throughout the L.A. region.
Students and families who attend the workshops will receive assistance with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), California Dream Act, and Chafee Grant applications. Last year, 7,100 workshop participants accessed more than $35 million in aid.
Super Saturday, normally held only in January, expanded to include October 2016 due to the recent federal changes to the FAFSA filing timeline. For the first time, applications began being accepted on Oct. 1, 2016. Previously, students would have had to wait until Jan. 1, 2017.
Students will still have until March 2nd to submit their FAFSA to be considered for state and federal financial aid. Students and their families can complete their financial aid application while, or even before, they apply for college admission. As well, students will not have to wait for parents/guardians to file their taxes since the FAFSA now asks for income data from a “prior-prior year” for which the income tax filing deadline has already passed.
The free workshops are part of the statewide California Cash for College campaign, led locally by the Chamber and UNITE-LA. Workshops will be available throughout the region leading up to the March 2, 2017 filing deadline for Cal Grants.
Now in its 15th year, L.A. Cash for College has helped thousands of students complete the financial aid application process and has awarded millions in additional scholarships. For more information about L.A. Cash for College or to find a workshop by zip code, visit www.lacashforcollege.org .
Media are welcome to cover Super Saturday. If a reporter has a specific site request, please reach out to the media contact listed on this release. For a full list of Super Saturday sites, please visit http://www.lacashforcollege.org/supersaturday.
L.A. Cash for College is sponsored by the City of Los Angeles, The Kresge Foundation, Bank of America, California Student Aid Commission, Ralphs, Wells Fargo, BNSF Railway Foundation, Youssef & Kamel Mawardi Fund, Farmers Insurance Group, Union Bank Foundation, Los Angeles Community College District and Tesoro Refining & Marketing.
Cash for College is part of the Chamber’s and its affiliate, UNITE-LA’s, body of work, College Ready L.A., that ensures collaboration in assisting all L.A. area students be prepared, be able to access and be able to complete college.
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The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of business in L.A. County. Founded in 1888, the Chamber promotes a prosperous economy and quality of life in the Los Angeles region. For more information, visit www.lachamber.com