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For Immediate Release Media Contact: Make the Connection with Cash for College: Fresno - Financial resources are available to help pay the costs of a college or university education, but too many San Joaquin Valley students are missing out. The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, for example, reports that only 28 percent of students in the region who qualify for Cal Grants even submit an application. To encourage more Valley students to seek and obtain financial support for higher education, UC Merced is hosting free Cash for College workshop from 7 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 15 at the UC Merced Fresno Center, 550 E. Shaw Ave. The Fresno workshop is one of several being presented throughout the Valley as part of California Cash for College, a statewide campaign sponsored by the California Student Aid Commission to increase the accessibility and affordability of higher education for students. Promoted regionally through the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, the campaign is presented in partnership with community volunteers, organizations and educational institutions, including the University of California. “Financial aid can be the only key that opens the door to higher education for deserving students, so efforts to help educate parents and students about financial aid resources are essential,” said UC Merced Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jane Lawrence. “More than 60 percent of all undergraduate students at University of California campuses receive financial aid. This support provides students with access to higher education, which ultimately helps them achieve their career goals as well.” Continuing throughout the month of February in several Valley locations, Cash for College workshops, including some presented in Spanish, are aimed at helping students successfully complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Grade Point Average Verification Form. Both forms are required for students to apply for Cal Grants and many other types of financial aid. The deadline to submit the FAFSA and Cal Grant GPA Verification Form for the 2005-06 academic year is March 2, 2005. Both students and parents are encouraged to attend the workshops, and are asked to bring their 2004 federal income tax return forms, W-2 forms or other relevant 2004 income information. They should also bring their driver's license or other form of state identification, and should know their Social Security number. For more information about the Feb. 15 workshop in Fresno, please contact Mitch Ylarregui in the UC Merced Office of Admissions/Relations with Schools at (559) 241-7474 or by e-mail at mylarregui@ucmerced.edu . Additional information about all Cash for College workshops by zip code is available online at http://californiacashforcollege.org or by calling the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium toll free at (877) ITS-POSSIBLE (487-7677). UC Merced, the 10th campus of the University of California system and the first major research university to be built in the United States during the 21st century, will open in fall 2005 with 1,000 students. A select group of graduate students began their studies at UC Merced in August 2004. Expected to enroll an additional 800 students each year, the campus ultimately will grow to a student population of 25,000. The university has a special mission to meet the educational needs of San Joaquin Valley residents, and is already serving area students through partnerships with community colleges, outreach programs and UC summer session courses offered in Fresno, Bakersfield and Atwater. UC Merced currently employs approximately 300 educators and other professionals who are working to develop the physical and academic infrastructure of the campus.
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