Applying for college can be among one of the most grueling processes for high school students but with the help of professionals through a series of workshops, incoming college freshmen often find relief.  

A mix of Daniel Pearl Magnet High School juniors and seniors attended a workshop at the 17th annual Los Angeles Cash for College event at Los Angeles Trade-Tech College (LATTC) on Nov. 9 and attended a workshop hosted by Los Angeles Valley College Financial Aid Technician David Jenkins. The workshop aimed to alleviate some of the stress that comes with filing  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Jenkins presented several tips on filling out the FAFSA, stressing the importance of filing FAFSA early and warning students about the dangers that withdrawing from courses may present.

“In regards to financial aid, I learned what information and documents I need to fill out my (FAFSA) application,” senior Adrian Contreras said.

Before the workshop, students had the opportunity to visit small booths stocked with pamphlets from private, public and community colleges alike from across California to retrieve more information. Private universities such as University of Southern California and University of San Diego and public universities such as California State University Northridge and California State University, Los Angeles were among the many that presented.

“My favorite part was going to each (booth) and seeing how different the colleges were,” junior Karen Ticas said.

Walking through the rows of crowded booths, one’s ears were filled with the buzzing of hair clippers and were bombarded with the occasional cloud of white powder from the complimentary services offered to high school attendees by the cosmetology department of LATTC. These students showcased the various careers accessible without traditional college, varying in cosmetology to those in automotive service.

Various Cash for College workshops are available as an aid for completing the FAFSA application. The California Student Aid Commission offers these free workshops in every county across California to low income and first generation college attendees.

“I learned a lot of information about financial aid,” junior Derren Reyes said. “I’ve always wanted to learn more about it and that information gave me a lot of helpful knowledge.”