Cash for college available for local students

Students and parents from all schools are invited to a free workshop to learn about financial aid eligibility and complete required forms online. Free workshops for high school seniors and others going to college in 2007 are being conducted in Shasta County as part of the statewide Cash for College program.

On Saturday, Feb. 10, workshops will be held at the Smart Business Resource Center on Placer and East street in Redding. Participants may arrive any time between 10 a.m. and noon, or between 12:30 and 3 p.m. No appointment is needed.

One-on-one assistance in completing the FAFSA will be available and AARP trained volunteers will be on hand to provide free tax preparation for parents and students.

Participants are encouraged to apply for PINs early at www.fafsa.ed.gov and to bring most recent taxes, social security numbers, bank balances and birthdates to the workshop. The FAFSA can be filed initially with estimated taxes for those who have not completed their taxes.

High school seniors who participate in the workshop, submit their FAFSA and Cal Grant GPA Verification by March 2 are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship to a degree-granting college or university of their choice in fall 2007.

The Feb. 10 workshop is sponsored by Shasta Union High School District, College OPTIONS, National University, Simpson University and Smart Business Resource Center.

An Additional Cash for College workshop is being offered at West Valley High School today, Wednesday, Feb. 7, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to an eligible senior from each workshop, according to Regional Coordinator Marylee Boals, Shasta Union High School District. Call 225-8413 for information about workshops or visit www.calgrants.org for a searchable database of all workshops.

Cash for College is sponsored in part by California Student Aid Commission and the Ed Fund.