By Teri H.P. Nguyen
Daily Bruin Contributor
Cal Grant applications are due in a few weeks, and the increased
availability of money this year for students comes as welcome news
for many who rely on financial aid for their college expenses.
“The funding is essential to my education,” said Wen
Pan, a second-year cybernetics student. “It helps make my
education possible since I can concentrate on learning, not making
money.”
Cal Grants are state-funded monetary awards given to students to
assist in their college tuition and expenses. Unlike loans, these
awards do not have to be repaid.
And now, more students will be able to attend universities and
colleges since more will be allotted a piece of California’s
state scholarship program, said Hilary McLean, spokeswoman for Gov.
Davis.
On Sept. 11, Davis signed Senate Bill 1644, authored by Sen.
Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, to expand the reaches of Cal
Grant.
Promising to protect education, Davis has allocated
approximately $694.3 million for Cal Grants alone for the 2002-03
fiscal year, McLean said.
Historically, Cal Grants were distributed based on a two-pronged
criterion: GPA and income.Â
There was one caveat: the funds were limited and, therefore,
competitive.
With the signing of the bill, the program moved one of
“competition to one of entitlement,” said Randy Singh,
spokesman for Ortiz.
Under the new Cal Grant program, every student ““ whether
from low or middle income backgrounds ““ who meets the GPA and
income level criteria is guaranteed a grant from the state.
Under the old program, students would compete for the grants,
but once the funds were out, that was it, said Carole Solov, a
spokeswoman for the California Student Aid Commission. The CSAC is
the main state scholarship and financial aid agency in
California.
But students don’t even know about the expansion, McLean
said.
“Students are guaranteed to have funds for school,”
she said. “We need to get the word out.”
With a few weeks left to get the message out before the March 2
deadline, Davis proclaimed February “Cal Grant
Month.”
Davis, in conjunction with other state legislators and the
California Student Aid Commission, has launched a month-long
outreach program to inform students about Cal Grants and to help
them apply for the scholarships.
Through a series of statewide workshops, “College Goal
Sunday,” Davis plans to spread the word about Cal Grants to
high school students statewide.
Throughout February, these workshops, staffed by volunteers,
will offer free help for parents and students to complete the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid form required for receiving
financial aid, including Cal Grants.
These workshops will be held throughout the state at high
schools and community centers.
Santa Monica High School, though not holding a College Goal
Sunday workshop, has already held two FAFSA workshops for
students.
Catherine Baxter, Santa Monica’s college advisor, has
already seen an increase in Cal Grant funding and applicants.
“We are even seeing former students coming back to apply
for Cal Grants after hearing about the extra funding,” Baxter
said about some students who could not afford to attend college
before. “What the government is doing is very
helpful.”
In addition to these workshops, Davis has implemented a $1.1
million campaign for outreach messages to be aired on radio
stations and the Internet to make sure students know about the free
money the state is offering.
This expansion of financial aid is the largest and most generous
increase in student aid in the nation, McLean said.
“This is a collective endeavor of all the state leaders
that want to see Cal Grants work for students,” she said.
More than 350 workshops will take place throughout the state
this month, Solov said.
Students who graduated high school last year and did not receive
a Cal Grant may reapply and, if they meet the criteria, are
entitled to the state scholarship, Solov said.
“This is the greatest opportunity for students in the
U.S.,” Solov said.