FREE CASH FOR COLLEGE DAY ... . Saturday, Ferbruary 1, 2003 8:00am to 4:00pm Volunteers needed to help students apply for college funds The City of Los Angeles, in partnership with Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), invites all college-bound L.A. students and their families to 50 local high schools for FREE assistance in completing the FAFSA -- the form that opens doors to Cal Grants and other financial aid. Volunteers are needed to help at these 50 sites. The Free Cash for College Campaign is a part of Mayor Hahn’s workforce development initiative, aimed at increasing learning and literacy in Los Angeles. The campaign will leverage LA’s abundant resources -- a highly diverse population, a multitude of higher education institutions, and a wide range of financial aid opportunities -- to help L.A. families secure a better education and more prosperous future. . “The future of our economy is a subject that concerns us all,” said Mayor Hahn. “I invite all Los Angeles ... to participate in this campaign ... " . To volunteer please contact: Gary De La Rosa Human Relations Liaison to the Event gdelaros@mailbox.lacity.org 213 / 978-1669 Human Relations Commission Please see complete volunteer job description below. . .

Volunteers needed to help students apply for college funds
by Emily C. Williams
Human Relations Commission

On Saturday February 1, 2003, the City of Los Angeles, in partnership with Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), invites all college-bound L.A. students and their families to 50 local high schools for FREE assistance in completing the FAFSA -- the form that opens doors to Cal Grants and other financial aid. This event will run from 8am to 4pm.

A collaboration of accounting firms, colleges and universities will help students and their families complete the FAFSA application required for California's Cal Grants, which provide $1,500 to $10,000 of annual education funding for qualifying families.

Volunteers are needed to help at these 50 sites. We are looking for individuals, community members, community activists, government employees, and others who are interested in helping young college-bound students apply for money for college. Organizations that would like to sponsor a site are also welcomed and encouraged to participate.

Each site will already be provided with trained people to explain the FAFSA applications. What is needed are site captains, one per site, and volunteers to work as hospitality workers and form assistants at each site. Of theses positions, only the site captain will need to attend a training beforehand.

Volunteer Job Descriptions

.....Site Captain:
This person will be in charge of a specific site. Duties will include:

	Visiting the site prior to February 1st to view the rooms that will be used, identify who will have the key on Saturday and determine where directional signs should be placed
	Attend a briefing and training meeting prior to the event
	Confirm volunteers and materials
	Lead the volunteer training the morning of the event
	Assign volunteer jobs at the event
	Supervise the site activity and phone in progress reports
	Collect materials and close down the site

.....Hospitality Workers:
Welcomes families, work the sign up sheet and oversee refreshments, posts directional signs. (5)

.....Form Assistants:
They will sit with the families after the workshops to help them fill out their FAFSA and GPA forms. They will make final checks of completed forms to ensure that all pertinent questions are answered. (5+)

The general flow of the day

Students and their families will be encouraged to come 30 minutes before the top of the hour. The family will be welcomed by the hospitality volunteers who will have them fill out a sign up card. The family will be given some preliminary materials and a program booklet.

Fifteen minutes before the hour the site captain or other volunteer will gather the applicants for an informal briefing, explaining what to expect and what documents are needed to complete the application. They will re-direct undocumented students to the Opportunity Counselors.

At the top of the hour the applying families will exit to another room where they will be given a PowerPoint or overhead presentation for one-hour. The presentation will go line by line through the FAFSA.

At the conclusion of the presentation families may stay and complete their FAFSA forms at the event site. Every site will have five or more form assistants. Before the family leaves a form assistant will review the materials and reiterate what the family must do to complete the application.

Each site should have food and water for volunteers and applicant families. Families will be encouraged to stay and talk to career, college and financial aid lay-counselors.

Everybody who attends (volunteers and applicants) will be asked to fill out an evaluation card.

Please visit the following site for more information:
http://www.lafreecashforcollege.org/

I'm passing this along to any of you who might be available to work/volunteer at this event or who would like to stop by.

If you have further questions, feel free to e-mail me or contact my colleague, Gary De La Rosa, who is our department's liaison to this event.

Thanks for all the important work you do in the community!

Emily C. Williams
Policy Advisor
City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission
213 / 978-1680
ewilliam@mailbox.lacity.org

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To volunteer please contact:

Gary De La Rosa
Human Relations Liaison to the Event
gdelaros@mailbox.lacity.org
213 / 978-1669

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