Organizations collaborate to kick off Financial Aid Awareness Month
To kick off February as Financial Aid Awareness Month, the California Community College Student Financial Aid Administrators Association (CCCSFAA), the Community College Public Relations Professionals (CCPRO), and the Community College League of California (League) are collaborating to ensure all current and future students are aware of their financial aid opportunities and reduce any debt as a higher education is pursued.
College affordability continues to be an urgent concern.
Nationally, student loan debt has reached a record high of over $1.3 trillion; exceeding credit card and personal loan debt combined. Nationally, about two in three (65 percent) college graduates had student loans. Their average debt was about $30,000, a 2 percent increase from the prior year. Furthermore, student loan debt is not borne evenly across all university graduates. Those with the highest debt tend to come from low-income communities.
Throughout the month of February, CCCSFAA, CCPRO, and the League will provide California’s community college trustees, CEOs, financial aid officers, and public information officers with strategies for removing financial aid barriers for its 2.1 million students across the state.
Since February is Financial Aid Awareness Month, it is the perfect time for California Community Colleges to:
- Explore the opportunity of your local community college’s Promise Program
- Understand the different types of aid available
- Review: The Parent’s Guide to Filling Out the FAFSA® Form
- FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) form.