WHITTIER – Rio Hondo College and two community partners will host a college financial aid workshop and application lab on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the College, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier.

Students attending the Cash for College event will receive information about aid options, access to computers and help filling out forms, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Dream Act and the Chafee foster youth aid application.

“Financial aid is a critical element in deciding on your college path,” Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss said. “Programs like this workshop help families to understand the highly complex system of aid and access the appropriate programs to help them begin their journeys.”

The event is a collaboration among Rio Hondo College’s Student Services Division, Assemblymember Ian C. Calderon, D-Whittier, and the Long Beach California Student Opportunity and Access Program (CalSOAP).

“This is a great opportunity for students to gather information from financial aid experts as they make critical choices about their future,” Assemblymember Calderon said. “I am excited to partner with Rio Hondo College and CalSOAP to expand access to higher education and ensure that a student is not turned away from a college education because he or she cannot afford it.”

Rio Hondo Board of Trustees President Mary Ann Pacheco said the day’s program represents the College’s commitment to the community.

“Rio Hondo College isn’t just a great community college – it’s the community’s college. And that means we take seriously our role in helping students discover what they can achieve,” Pacheco said. “This workshop is for our community’s high school students who are considering where to start college as well as for our dedicated Rio Hondo students who are ready to tackle the next stage of their education.”

Students and their families will begin at the workshop, which runs from 9 to 10 a.m. in LR 128. The FAFSA lab runs from 10 a.m. to noon in LR 129.

Students should bring all available relevant personal and financial data:

  • Driver’s license
  • Social Security number
  • Alien registration number
  • Your 2015 income information
  • Parent 2015 income information
  • Individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) (student or parent)
  • 2015 tax information, if available
  • 2014 tax information, if 2015 is not available
  • 2015 bank statements
  • Records of untaxed income, such as welfare benefits, Social Security benefits, child support payments
  • List of colleges you are interested in attending

The deadline to apply for financial aid for the 2016-17 school year is March 2, 2016. For more information, contact the TRIO/SSS Program Student Services at 562-463-3216.