MEDIA ADVISORY -- Elected officials, school district urge student participation at college aid workshops

Reporters and editors: Sen. Block is holding a news conference at 10 a.m.
tomorrow at San Diego High regarding college-aid workshops for high school
students. See below. Contact is Contact: Maria L. Lopez in Sen. Block's
office, 916.651.4039 or 916.712.9854.

Jack Brandais | Communications Department | San Diego Unified School
District | (619) 725-5570 (Desk) | (619) 607-0477 (Cell)

_ _ _ _ _ _

For Immediate Release
Jan. 22, 2014

Contact:
Maria L. Lopez
916.651.4039
916.712.9854

Free cash for college financial aid workshops

Elected officials, school district urge student participation at college
aid workshops

High school seniors, local elected officials and San Diego Unified School
District representatives will announce on Friday a concerted effort to
increase the number of San Diego-area high school students applying for
free college financial aid. They will also request assistance in
publicizing and encouraging students to attend one of 13 upcoming
financial aid workshops. In 2013, San Diego region workshop participants
were offered more than $3 million in federal and Cal Grant aid.

College financial aid increases opportunities for students to attend a
college or university of their choice. The Public Policy Institute of
California estimates that the state will need an additional one million
Californians with four-year degrees or higher by 2025 because 41 percent
of the state¹s jobs will require a bachelor¹s degree or higher. Currently,
only 35 percent of adults will be prepared to meet this demand. Increasing
college access and affordability is essential.

Another 2.3 million Californians will be needed with post-graduate degree
certificates and two-year degrees in addition to the 3.2 million the state
is projected to produce by 2025 according to California Competes.


WHO: Senator Marty Block, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, U.S.
Representative Scott Peters, San Diego Unified Board Trustee Richard
Barrera, Linda Doughty of the California Student Opportunity and Access
Program and San Diego Unified high school students

WHAT: Appeal to graduating senior high school students and
parents to encourage attendance at one of 12 upcoming Cash for College
events: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) & California
Dream Act Application Workshops (Jan. 25 ­ March 1) in San Diego County.
Seniors who attend a workshop and apply for a Cal Grant by the March 2
deadline could qualify for an extra $1,000 Cash for College scholarship
offered at each workshop. Students will also be completing financial aid
forms at the news conference. Flyer with workshop schedule and list of
information students need to bring with them is attached to email in PDF
format. Workshop information is also available at
www.calgrants.org/workshops.

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m.

WHERE: San Diego High School Library; 1405 Park Blvd., San Diego


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Proudly representing the cities and communities of San Diego, Del Mar,
Solana Beach, and Coronado


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