According to reports, California’s community colleges are not reaching maximum potential for information available to students about financial aid.
Reports show that some changes don’t make aid available until weeks after the semester starts.
Colleges are not allowing for students to be informed that financial aid can help cover certain educational expenses. It stated that a typical community college student spends about $15,000 a year on books, housing and transportation.
The report’s author, Deborah Frankle Cochrane, said, “Low fees don’t guarantee access to a college education in California and no matter which college they attend, students should be able to find out about financial aid, get help applying for it, and receive it when they need it.”
The report has recommendations for the CCC’s system: Policy makers, state and federal, need to guarantee that students have the means to receive the aid and that it shouldn’t depend on which colleges they attend.
A few of the policies and procedures listed are that the California legislature should increase and expand the Cal Grant B to supply a larger amount of state aid to a larger share of students.
Bakersfield College’s financial aid adviser Joan Wegner verified that BC does ensure that aid recipients have money for textbooks by supplying them with book loans.
As for broadcasting financial aid services, Wegner said, “Yes, BC provides adequate information through a cross-training program where the attending students, and all the staff participate in a public outreach in the community as well as on campus promotions.”
“The goal is to give out pamphlets or binders that contain information on services and provide contacts,” added Wegner.
Wegner does agree that colleges should reevaluate policies and procedures.
“BC abides by federal and state regulations for screening applicants for financial aid,” said Wegner. “BC does have their own policies that can be altered for their personal academic standards for recipients to continue receiving financial aid,” continued Wegner.
Wegner recommends that students complete FAFSA forms by the priority filing date on March 2.
According to an e-mail sent from Scott Lay, the CEO of the Community College League of California to chief financial aid officers, about 40 percent of the Cal Grants available to community college students would be eliminated under the governor’s proposal.
The proposal would phase out a program that currently serves 42,000 community college students with an average family income of $15,110 and instead favors the “entitlement” program, which serves students with an average income twice that.